PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Detroit Red Wings center Marco Kasper (92) skates with the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Finn Harding (50) in the preseason NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Pens made some more cuts on Thursday, sending down 12 players and formalizing the movement of goalie Taylor Gauthier to AHL Wilkes-Barre after he cleared waivers.
The Penguins have assigned the following players to the @WBSPenguins (AHL): F – Brayden Edwards F – Max Graham F – Jack Horbach F – Hugh McGing F – Mark Senden F – Tiernan Shoudy F – Daniel Russell D – Finn Harding D – Daniel Laatsch G – Taylor Gauthier Forward Melvin Fernstrom…
WBS has a preseason game on Friday and they needed some more players to help fill out the team, no real surprises in the mix. All the big decisions are still to be made for players even close to the bubble.
Following Thursday’s 4-0 loss to Columbus, the Pens have one more preseason game on Saturday in Buffalo. The regular season begins for them on Wednesday in Philadelphia. By then they’ll be down to 23 healthy players and still have well over a dozen more players to trim away from the NHL camp to get there.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: Charlie Coyle #3 of the Columbus Blue Jackets shoots the puck against Ryan Graves #27 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period of the preseason game at Nationwide Arena on September 24, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you’re like me, the geo restrictions on the stream from Columbus wasn’t co-operating, but all things considered this wasn’t a bad game to miss out on. Therefore, I don’t have a lot of impressions to make out of the Penguins’ 4-0 loss to the Blue Jackets.
Pittsburgh brought a bare bones roster, saving most of their 100+ game veterans for the exhibition finale on Saturday. Tonight’s top line could make up most/all the fourth line come the regular season, otherwise it was stocked with a lot of players who will be headed off the NHL roster in the coming days, besides goalie Sergei Murashov.
Overall, NHL.com has the shots of this snore-fest at 16-15 for the whole game. That might not be good for a Columbus team that took advantage of their home game and loaded up with many an NHL regular.
Pittsburgh generated just two shots in the first period and barely got much going after that. Each team only took one penalty a piece the whole game, matching minors for Avery Hayes and a Blue Jacket for roughing.
Even the highlights left something to be desired, like this ice level view where you can’t really tell what happens but a long-range Zach Werenski wrister eluded Murashov with traffic in front for a goal in the first period that would stand up as the eventual game-winner.
Columbus would tack on an empty netter late to close out the scoring.
Murashov ends up with 13 saves on 16 shots, but considering what he had to work with on his team and about all of CBJ’s good players in there, not too much can be gleamed from the evening. Phil Bourque on the radio had complimentary things to say about Murashov’s performance so we’ll pass that along. He didn’t let in anything outrageous judging from the highlights, though fighting through traffic and finding a way to stop the puck on the first goal is going to be a challenge for him – like any NHL goalie.
Some statlines for players on the bubble or in interesting spots:
Rutger McGroarty: -2, 3 shots on goal (4 total attempts), 1 giveaway and blocked shot
Tristan Broz: -2, 2 shots on goal 2 hits, 3 giveaways, 1-for-6 in the faceoff circle
Ville Koivunen: -2, 1 shot on goal (2 total attempts), 2 giveaways and 2 blocked shots
Avery Hayes: -1, 2 PIMs, 1 shot on goal (4 total attempts), 2 hits
Murashov was charged with 4 giveaways
Some good news, if there is any, is the line of Filip Hallander, Conor Dewar and Elmer Soderblom were not on for a goal against (neither was the Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke pair). Dewar did only win four of his 11 faceoffs, which could loom large with the team likely needing him to start the regular season as a center after preseason injuries to Blake Lizotte and Ben Kindel.
Overall, not much to work with or analyze, which might be for the best considering the circumstances. The Pens brought a B-level team and got a B-level output of basically nothing. That’s about all we got for this one, Pittsburgh will gladly move onto the next day, where they will practice tomorrow at noon before getting ready for that last tune-up game this weekend.
Thursday night's NHL preseason game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins was moving along like any old game, until Trevor Zegras was whistled for a bizarre penalty you don't see called every day.
Just about halfway through the second period of their game against the Bruins, the Flyers were called for their first individual penalty; their first of the night was a too many men penalty served by Matvei Michkov, who also scored the game's first goal.
Zegras was penalized by the referees for "improper wearing of equipment" and in real time, nobody seemed to know what exactly happened or why.
But, as we came to find, Zegras had his jersey tucked, and the NHL and its referees will apparently be cracking down on that this season.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman via his X account, the "league has indicated it will warn players if equipment -- neck guards, visors, helmets (during warmup) -- is not being properly worn.
Jerseys are supposed to be untucked at the beginning of a player's shift. (If it rides up during a shift, no issue.)"
Friedman added, "Procedure is a warning, followed by a two-minute penalty. So, Zegras must have been warned earlier in the game. Next violation is supposed to be a misconduct."
If Zegras and the Flyers were, in fact, warned ahead of time, it was rather innocuous and went unnoticed. Both Zegras and Travis Konecny both plead the Flyers' case to the referees, but their appeals fell on deaf ears.
Ultimately, the Flyers survived the strange Zegras penalty, which was compounded by a Jett Luchanko hooking penalty that put the Flyers on a 5-on-3 penalty kill not long after.
As is seemingly tradition, the Flyers appear to be the first team to be an example for the rule the NHL is trying to enforce, and it certainly caught everyone off guard.
Veleno then signed his first deal as an unrestricted free agent with the Canadiens and got his first taste of playoff hockey last season.
The Habs decided not to tender him a qualifying offer, thus making him a UFA for a second straight summer.
“It’s been a little difficult, for sure,” Veleno told The Post on Thursday before he suited up for his first preseason game with the Rangers, a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils at Madison Square Gardenagainst the Devils. “Not always easy, but you know what? You try to learn from those mistakes and try to avoid that happening again as best as you could. Try to find ways to improve and get better. I thought I did a good job of that last year, established myself [with] more of an identity to myself.”Obviously, running here this year.”
The 26-year-old has been penciled into the fourth-line center role since putting pen to paper with the Rangers in the summer.
On Thursday, he skated next to Tye Kartye and Matt Rempe, which very well could be the Rangers fourth line on Opening Night in Boston at the end of this month.
Joe Veleno (right) and teammate Scott Morrow look on during the Rangers’ 4-3 preseason win over the Devils on Sept. 24, 2026 at Madison Square Garden. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Veleno said he aims to be responsible defensively and contribute on both the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. , he added, is what hHe would like to chip in offensively more of this season.
“He will without a doubt be a big part of the penalty kill,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of Veleno, who had five points (two goals, three assists) in 61 games last season. “I think he’s also a guy that has shown an ability, just with his defensive conscience. We can put him in defensive situations to play against other team’s top players if we need him to. The biggest thing that allows him to do that is his size and his skating ability. He can really skate. I think that’s a great attribute as a defensive player because if you get beat, if somebody gets a step on you, you have the ability to recover.
“I think Joe has that. And when you’re playing against good players, sometimes you’re going to get beat. They make good plays. Skating ability and size, reach, length, things like that, I think are a big advantage to a guy that’s going to play that type of a role and he has that.”
Montreal center Joseph Veleno warms up before the Canadiens’ loss to the Sabres in Game 4 of the second round of the NHL Playoffs on May 12, 2026 at Bell Centre. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was predetermined that veteran goalie Joonas Korpisalo would play all of the second-to-last exhibition game Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. Rookie netminder Dylan Garand served as the backup.
“Obviously, I don’t want to let in a [late] goal,” said Korpisalo, who had Amadeus Lombardi go five-hole on him to tie the game up 3-3 with 1:39 left in regulation. “I think [the] third goal is a bad goal on my part. I got to save the puck, and game is on the line. You got to find a way to do it, but getting to OT and shootouts, it’s also beneficial.”
The Rangers cut their training camp roster by five players before Thursday’s game.
Jacob Battaglia, Brody Lamb, Dylan Roobroeck, Spencer Martin and Callum Tung were assigned to the Wolf Pack.
One of the most interesting questions at Senators' training camp is whether Carter Yakemchuk is ready to become a full-time NHL player.
There's no doubt about his ability to make an impression. Yakemchuk had a goal and an assist in his regular-season debut last March, then picked up two assists in his playoff debut against Carolina.
Tyler Kleven was asked by reporters on Thursday what his early impressions are of his preseason D partner, Carter Yakemchuk (Senators YouTube).
There's also no doubt that the Senators would love for him to be 100 percent ready for everyday duty right now.
After Nick Jensen left in free agency, the Senators had an opening on the right side of their D. With Artem Zub and Jordan Spence expected to handle the top-four duties, Yakemchuk appeared to be competing with Nikolas Matinpalo for a regular place on the third pair.
For any defenseman, there's always a massive difference between being the sixth or seventh man, but that's especially true for young ones breaking into the league. At 20, Yakemchuk needs games and minutes. Keeping him in Ottawa as a seventh defenceman, watching from the press box all too often, would do little for his development.
Now with Artem Zub out, Yakemchuk has moved up even higher in the batting order.
Zub is still recovering from the injury he suffered in Game 1 against the Hurricanes five months ago, and head coach Travis Green does not expect him to be ready for the start of the season. That creates another opening on the right side, and given that Zub has been in rehab mode for five months, it also raises questions about how long the Sens may need someone to fill it.
Yakemchuk should be the obvious candidate.
But so far, his camp and two preseason appearances have showcased a young player who's still figuring things out. He generally looks comfortable when the Sens have the puck, but his skating and reading the play defensively still pose a challenge.
Wednesday’s split-squad game in Toronto was a particularly demanding test. With Sanderson, Zub and Spence unavailable, and Thomas Chabot out for family reasons, Yakemchuk was thrown in the deep end against a loaded Leafs lineup and asked to be a number one and play top minutes (25:29).
That was a far bigger assignment than the limited, insulated minutes he received during his brief NHL appearances last season, or the number six role he's better suited to at this stage.
The Senators lost 6–1, and Yakemchuk had a difficult night. It would be unfair to judge his readiness on that game alone. The Senators will evaluate the big picture and what they’ve seen throughout camp.
Yakemchuk has been skating with Tyler Kleven, which may offer a glimpse of the third pair the Sens would like to use out of the gate.
Kleven spoke well of the rookie when asked about him on Thursday, but his comments also included references to confidence, how everyone makes mistakes early on, and how it takes time to adjust to the NHL.
Looking back, the draft day attraction to Yakemchuk is easy to understand.
In his draft year with the Calgary Hitmen, he scored 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games, along with 120 penalty minutes. A big, right-shot defenceman with that kind of offensive production, size and apparent snarl was always going to draw attention. His shot is elite and would give the Sens a fantastic weapon on the power play.
If the Senators decided Yakemchuk needs more time in Belleville, they would still need a third-pairing right-shot D behind Spence and Matinpalo. And there are no obvious candidates.
Hoyt Stanley has made a case for a longer look and had a slick backhand goal against Toronto on Wednesday. Christian Kyrou offers offence from the right side, while the 6-foot-7 Djibril Touré brings size and physicality and skates well for a man his size. Ottawa native Cameron Crotty seems steady enough and has already appeared in NHL games for the Senators.
Green could also choose a left-shot defenceman if he feels that player gives him the best lineup. But on opening night last year, he showed his preference to keep his D on their natural side. With Kleven injured, Green replaced him with another lefty in Donovan Sebrango, who had played just two career NHL games to that point, while the more experienced, right-shot Spence was a healthy scratch.
Zub’s absence, combined with a lack of other obvious options, places Yakemchuk comfortably in the driver's seat to start the year in Ottawa. Whether this is the best place for him to continue his development at this time is a wait-and-see.
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:
The 21-year-old winger moved extremely well. His hands and legs were at a different gear.
“Mich I thought was skating really well and felt it with the puck,” Rick Tocchet said. “It was really nice to see.”
Michkov scored just 4:02 minutes into the game on a rebound. During that sequence, he displayed some crisp passing in the offensive zone.
In the second period, he had a nifty touch pass through his legs to spring Christian Dvorak for a scoring chance.
Michkov would have had two goals if he buried a Grade A look in the third period. He was excellent, though, and provided a really good sign of him bouncing back from his sophomore slump.
“He was awesome,” Porter Martone said. “He played really well. … I think we should expect a big season from him.”
“He looks big in net,” Tocchet said. “He made some really good saves.”
It was a good tune-up for the 28-year-old. We’ll see if Woll will be needed on opening night. Dan Vladar is day to day with an upper-body injury.
• Zach Aston-Reese, Jack Studnicka, Danila Klimovich, Nolan Foote and Cam Dineen cleared waivers Thursday and were loaned to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Carl Grundstrom also cleared, but he’ll stay with the big club for now. That’s likely related to the uncertainty around Denver Barkey’s status for opener. The 21-year-old forward has been considered day to day with a lower-body injury.
We were talking to Rick Tocchet when this happened. Tocchet said Barkey would maybe be a possibility for Saturday's preseason finale, but not sure if that will still be the case. We'll see about his status for next Wednesday's regular-season opener. https://t.co/IGxAUA3YlG
If Barkey is unavailable for the regular-season opener, the Flyers could turn to Grundstrom or Nikita Grebenkin. Grebenkin has to be healthy, though. He exited briefly in the third period after taking a hip check into the boards. The 23-year-old had a delayed start to training camp because of a flare-up with his injury from last season.
It’s also possible Knuble has forced his way into the conversation. The Flyers have given him a good look and he hasn’t wasted it. In three preseason games and one rookie game, Knuble has put up three goals. The Flyers are high on the 22-year-old prospect. Tocchet didn’t rule out Knuble making the season-opening roster.
“Yeah, it could happen,” Tocchet said. “There’s a numbers game, but he’s definitely pushing some people.”
Jett Luchanko has also played in all three preseason games and has collected an assist in each one.
“We’re building some chemistry there,” Knuble said. “He’s fun to play with, he’s so fast, he creates turnovers — an easy guy to play with.”
Helge Grans left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. The 24-year-old defenseman recorded an assist on Michkov’s goal.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 22: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins chases the puck down during a preseason game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 22, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to preseason game 3 of 4, folks!
The Bruins and Flyers will renew acquaintances tonight in Philadelphia, just a couple of days after the B’s beat the Flyers at TD Garden by a score of 5-1.
Per the NHL website, this game will be broadcast on NESN+ locally, so you should be able to watch if you have a subscription/cable.
Per the Bruins yesterday, here’s who you’ll see tonight:
It took Adam Fantilliholding out for the first week of Blue Jackets training camp, but the team's top young center has agreed to a six-year contract worth $82.5 million ($13.75 million AAV) to finally put negotiations behind him and join his team at Nationwide Arena.
“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player ... speed, size, skill along with a competitive drive to succeed,” Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans."
Fantilli, 21, became a restricted free agent without arbitration rights July 1. Had he signed a big offer sheet, like Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson did with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Jackets would’ve been forced to match it or let Fantilli leave for a package of compensatory draft picks.
That didn't happen, allowing Waddell to seek a more team friendly cap hit than what Fantilli and agent Pat Brisson initially wanted. Getting their price, however, wound up costing Fantilli valuable preparation time with his teammates prior to opening the season against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1 at Nationwide Arena.
The Ducks weren't as fortunate from a cap perspective, swallowing hard before matching the Flyers’ offer sheet that now pays Carlsson at $18 million a season for the next five years. Carlsson was selected second overall in 2023, one pick ahead of where the Blue Jackets got Fantilli, a comparable top young center who’s similar in size, age and stats through their first three seasons.
According to PuckPedia, the Blue Jackets had just under $12.7 million in cap space prior to signing Fantilli, so they're about $1.2 million over the cap ceiling of $104 million for this season. That number, however, counts salaries for 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies — including injured center Isac Lundestrom (Achilles surgery) and goalie Elvis Merzlikins (shoulder).
Merzlikins, who underwent shoulder surgery Aug. 17, and Lundestrom will almost certainly start the season on IR, and both could be placed on long-term injured reserve to gain flexibility against the cap. Utilizing LTIR allows teams to exceed the cap ceiling by the amount that injured players placed on it puts them over. So, adding Merzlikins' $5.4 million and Lundestrom's $1.3 million salaries would provide plenty of cushion.
Teams are allowed to exceed the cap in the offseason by up to 10% of the ceiling, but must be cap compliant before 5 p.m. on Sept. 28.
Fantilli is now the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player by a wide margin, exceeding the salary of reigning Norris Trophy winning defenseman Zach Werenski ($9.58 AAV) by roughly $4.1 million this season and next.
Though it doesn't come close to matching Carlsson's annual cap hit, Fantilli's salary now sits between Ducks power forward Cutter Gauthier's new deal for $13.5 million over the next six years and Connor Bedard's $15 million AAV for the next five with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Gauthier was selected fourth overall by the Flyers in 2022 and traded to the Ducks, while Bedard was the 2023 draft's first overall pick. Carlsson went second that year and Fantilli, whose numbers stack up comparably, went third. Fantilli has totaled 140 points on 67 goals and 73 assists through 213 games with the Blue Jackets, while Carlsson has give the Ducks 141 points on 61 goals and 80 assists and in 201 games.
Bedard tops both with 203 points on 75 goals and 128 assists in 219 games for the Blackhawks, but he's done it while posting a -98 plus/minus for a team that has lagged near the bottom of the NHL's overall standings.
Carlsson, who has a -1 plus/minus, helped the Ducks get back into the playoffs last season while Fantilli (-30) has narrowly missed the postseason the past two years with the Blue Jackets, a team that most analysts didn't consider a playoff contender.
Now, Fantilli is locked in with the Blue Jackets for six more years as an elite young center they'll need to continue improving over the course of this contract. Those type of gems are almost always drafted, rarely traded and almost never signed as free agents, which boosts their value immensely.
The NHL’s best teams typically follow the same roster construct, starting with goaltending and defense before shifting to center ice. The Blue Jackets are doing well in those areas, especially after locking up Fantilli for a forward group that lost center Boone Jenner in free agency but has Sean Monahan, Charlie Coyle, Lundestrom and Cole Sillinger as additional center options.
Apr 12, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (19) looks to pass as Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) trails the play during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Russell LaBounty/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets re-signed center Adam Fantilli to a six-year, $82.5-million contract.
Fantilli was a restricted free agent and missed the first week of training camp as the two sides worked on a deal. He becomes the Blue Jackets’ highest-paid player with a contract that averages $13.75 million per year.
The 21-year-old Canadian was the third overall pick by Columbus in the 2023 NHL draft after winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey at the University of Michigan.
Fantilli was second on the team with 24 goals and was third in scoring with 59 points last season. He is the third player in franchise history with multiple 20-goal campaigns before turning 22.
“Adam Fantilli has all of the tools you look for in a player — speed, size, skill — along with a competitive drive to succeed,” general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “He is one of the most exciting young players in the NHL and a big part of what we are building in Columbus, so this is a very exciting day for our organization and our fans.”
Chicago’s Connor Bedard and Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson — the top two picks in the 2023 draft — both signed five-year contracts. Bedard’s averages $15 million while the Ducks matched an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers that had an $18 million per season average.
San Jose’s Will Smith was picked fourth overall but remains on the final year of his entry-level contract.
Fantilli is expected to center Columbus’ top line with Kirill Marchenko and Valeri Nichushkin. Marchenko led the Blue Jackets with 27 goals while Nichushkin was acquired from Colorado during the offseason.
Defenseman and reigning Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski has two years remaining on his contract as the Blue Jackets look to get to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Sabres sustained two injuries to their defense corps during Tuesday’s preseason game, with Mattias Samuelsson now week to week with a lower-body injury and Olen Zellweger in concussion protocol.
With those absences comes an opportunity for some of the defensemen in tonight’s lineup to solidify a potential spot in the opening night lineup. Zach Metsa and Dennis Gilbert would figure to be the two frontrunners for the job, having both spent camp practicing with the NHL group. Metsa excelled in his role as Buffalo’s seventh defenseman last season and led the team in ice time during Monday’s preseason game.
Radim Mrtka and Ryan Johnson are two more names to watch. The two defensemen opened camp with the AHL practice group but joined the NHL squad on Wednesday with Samuelsson and Zellweger absent. Johnson has 47 NHL games on his resume; Mrtka is entering his first pro season after being drafted ninth overall in 2025.
The Sabres have had 14 forwards in their NHL practice group throughout camp. Assuming they stick with three goalies to begin the regular season, they’ll likely only be able to carry 13 forwards on their 23-man roster for opening night.
Tyson Kozak and Justin Danforth – both in tonight’s lineup – have been the extra forwards at camp thus far. Kozak performed well in a fourth-line role with Buffalo last season; Danforth is healthy after missing most of 2025-26 with a broken kneecap.
Assuming the line stays together, tonight will be a chance to see how it fares against outside competition – and a possible preview of a look we’ll see during the regular season.
It appears that fans across the NHL do not hate the Vancouver Canucks. In a new survey conducted by HockeyStats.com's co-founder, JFresh, the Canucks did not appear a single time on a "Most Hated Teams Survey." The survey featured 3,043 votes, in which fans of each team were asked to rank their three most-hated teams in order.
Overall, the Canucks ranked pretty low on the most-hated team list. They received 0% of the first-place votes, 2% of the second-place votes and 2% of the third-place votes. In the end, Vancouver finished 23rd amongst the 32 NHL teams.
JFresh also released a list called "I Don't Think About You At All". The list ranked the most one-sided hatred in the fan vote. The Canucks and Oilers ended up on the list, as 61% of Vancouver fans said they hate Edmonton, while only 14% of Oilers fans feel the same way about the Canucks.
Vancouver and Edmonton will have plenty of time to renew their rivalry as the Pacific Division foes battle three times in the next week. The first game is a pre-season matchup followed by a home-and-home series to kick off the regular season. Puck drop for Thursday's pre-season battle is scheduled for 6:00 pm PT at Rogers Arena.
Jan 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Liam Ohgren (92) checks Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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Finally playing their first home game of the 2026 preseason, the Philadelphia Flyers will debut many of their NHL regulars, as well as a few prospects pushing for a roster spot, in a rematch against the Boston Bruins at 7 p.m. at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday night.
Rookie forwards Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble will be playing in their third preseason game, while Helge Grans interestingly gets another chance to prove himself with fellow prospects David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk sitting out on Thursday night.
In the wake of Dan Vladar's injury, Joseph Woll will get the full game against the Bruins, with Aleksei Kolosov backing him up once again.
A chance at revenge, of course, after a 5-1 beating at the hands of the Bruins on Tuesday.
Also of note, Nikita Grebenkin makes his preseason debut after recovering from a lingering upper-body injury that ended his season and held him out at the start of training camp. With Denver Barkey out injured, this is a prime opportunity for Grebenkin to re-establish himself as a lineup staple for the Flyers with his size and agitating style of play.
Flyers lines vs. Bruins
Porter Martone - Trevor Zegras - Travis Konecny
Tyson Foerster - Christian Dvorak - Matvei Michkov
The Bruins will be trotting out a mostly AHL-centric lineup, sprinkling in a few NHLers, most notably top prospect James Hagens, star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and Mikey Eyssimont and Henri Jokiharju.
For the Flyers, it's a good opportunity for their more established players to begin adjusting to a real game setting with less than a week to go before the start of the regular season, which will open on a back-to-back against Pittsburgh and New Jersey, respectively.
It seems unlikely that any roster battles will be won or lost during this particular contest, though Barkey's injury does open the door for players like Luchanko, Grebenkin, and Knuble, especially if he'll have to miss any time heading into the regular season.
Player to Watch
Jett Luchanko has quietly enjoyed a strong preseason and training camp to date, and as I wrote in our most recent Flyers depth chart, he has been proving that he can support more talented players with his style of play down the middle.
While it is still unlikely he makes the team out of camp for a third straight year, the one thing I had hoped to see from the 2024 first-round pick was to just make it a difficult decision for the Flyers.
That he has, as he gets ready to skate in his third consecutive preseason game, with just one left to go on Saturday.
The Maple Leafs trimmed training camp again Thursday, putting the roster on a more recognizable NHL path five days before opening night.
The club announced a second wave of cuts after Wednesday’s first reduction. Eight players were placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Toronto Marlies: forwards Brendan Brisson, Vinni Lettieri, Steven Lorentz, Michael Pezzetta, Henrik Rybinski and Ryan Tverberg, plus defencemen Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai.
Ten more were sent directly to the Marlies: goaltenders Artur Akhtyamov, Ken Appleby and Samuel Hlavaj, forwards Luke Haymes, Miroslav Holinka, Jacob Quillan and Landon Sim, and defencemen Noah Chadwick, Ben Danford and Blake Smith.
Prospect Tinus Luc Koblar was returned to Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Those moves follow Wednesday’s batch, when Toronto placed Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis on waivers, reassigned Vinny Borgesi, Brandon Buhr, Hayes Hundley and Borya Valis to the Marlies, sent 14 others to Marlies camp, assigned four to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, and returned Alexander Bilecki (Kitchener), Tyler Hopkins (Guelph) and Harry Nansi (Owen Sound) to junior.
The following players have been reassigned to the Toronto Marlies:
Artur Akhtyamov Ken Appleby Noah Chadwick Ben Danford Luke Haymes Samuel Hlavaj Miroslav Holinka Jacob Quillan Landon Sim Blake Smith
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One of the pleasant surprises for the Detroit Red Wings during the 2025-26 NHL season was the emergence of rookie forward Emmitt Finnie. After earning a roster spot with a strong Training Camp, Finnie went on to appear in all 82 regular-season games.
He was one of three Red Wings rookies to make the final roster out of last year’s Training Camp and preseason, joining Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. However, Finnie was the only one of the three to remain with the NHL club for the entire season.
He finished the season with 13 goals and 17 assists, while spending a significant amount of time on Detroit’s top line alongside Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
Finnie should enter his sophomore season with increased confidence after gaining a full year of NHL experience under his belt.
"I think my confidence is high right now," Finnie said. "Obviously, I had some success last season, and it was nice to carry that into the offseason."
Showing the maturity of a seasoned veteran, Finnie acknowledged that there are still areas of his game he wants to improve, including his work on the backcheck.
"I really wanted to improve my game; I was trying to focus on lots of areas - winning battles low, just working on all areas of my game," he said. "And defensively, I want to be sharper."
Finnie, whom the Red Wings selected in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, recorded 30 points during his rookie season.
Although he isn't entering this season with a specific points target in mind, Finnie believes the production will follow if he continues to, as he put it, play the right way.
"I just take it as it comes," he said of his point totals. "Obviously, you want to produce, and for me, it's putting myself in the right position to score goals and making plays where I can get assists.
If I just keep playing the right way, they'll come."
During this fall's Training Camp, head coach Todd McLellan repeatedly voiced the need for the Red Wings to be harder to play against.
Not only does Finnie provide an offensive touch, but he also repeatedly demonstrated that he's not afraid of physical confrontation and getting into the dirty areas of the ice.
"I think he wants our whole team to play hard, and it's an area of my game I like to play," Finnie said of his physicality. "I like to finish my checks and be hard on the forecheck, and I feel like that's when I play my best, when I do that. I'm gonna continue to do that."
Noting his offensive touch and junkyard dog mentality on the ice, McLellan believes that Finnie is in an even more advantageous position entering his second NHL campaign.
"Last year, he provided a lot of that," he said. "He finished his checks and was competitive with his speed; we want that and more from him this year. I see him more confident, stronger, and feeling good about his game."
Finnie and the Red Wings open the regular season on Oct. 2 at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting New York Rangers.
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Since the start of training camp, it’s fair to say that one Montreal Canadiens forward has stood out and not for the right reasons: Kirby Dach. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that he showed up to camp and declined to speak about his contract negotiations; few players would be happy to talk about being essentially forced to file for arbitration and accept a two-way qualifying offer. However, what is surprising is the fact that the offseason didn’t set a fire under his backside. One would have thought he'd show up eager to prove the Habs brass wrong and that he was worth a four-million, one-way qualifying offer.
Instead, what we are seeing on the ice is a Dach that doesn’t seem to be giving his all. He’s skating like a guy who believes he has a guaranteed spot in the lineup and who doesn’t want to take any risks in the preseason. Meanwhile, Florian Xhekaj is as intense as can be every time he is on the ice, skating hard, hitting hard and leaving a calling card.
Of course, they are not the same kind of player, but unfortunately for Dach, they are both competing for a bottom-six spot. The Albertan looks like a player who believes he should be in the top six and therefore doesn’t need to earn a bottom-six role. However, even if he were a third overall pick, there is no room on the Canadiens’ top six for Dach, and he needs to adapt his game accordingly, something he has failed to do so far.
He doesn’t play like a 6-foot-4, 221-pound guy. When there’s a battle for the puck, he never seems to want it more; he almost concedes the win before the duel even starts, which makes him frustrating to watch. Dach looks like a guy who made it to the NHL on talent alone but doesn’t realize talent alone isn't enough to guarantee success in the best league of them all. You need to put in the work.
Many talented players are on the ice, but the ones who really stand out understand their identity and keep perfecting their craft. I dare say he reminds me of Alexandre Daigle, who had all the talent and potential in the world but who didn’t really want to be there in the end, or even Benoit Pouliot, who was a Minnesota Wild fourth overall pick in 2005; he had talent and a truckload of potential, but he never truly unlocked it all (the Habs can thank the Wild for that one, since they were going to pick him if he was still available).
While fans and media alike are getting frustrated by Dach’s performances, coach Martin St-Louis remains even-keeled through it all. In Brossard on Wednesday, he was asked what he needs to see from Dach in the last week of camp, and he replied, "I wouldn’t say it’s one thing; just continue to work on his game and get ready for the season." That answer took all of six seconds.
If St-Louis isn’t happy with Dach’s work, he won't tell him through the media. He’ll tell him to his face, whether on the ice during practice, in the room during a game, or simply by cutting his ice time. When he said at the start of training camp that he didn’t know what Dach’s role this season with the Habs would be, it was as close as he will ever get to sending a message through the media; don’t expect him to go any further. St-Louis has been a player in this league, and he is and will always be a player’s coach. That doesn’t mean a player gets a free ride; it just means St-Louis isn't John Tortorella.
