Sidney Crosby is feeling the effects of the shortened preseason in his adjustment to playing with a new linemate.
Crosby mentioned having a week less to prepare for the season when talking about skating alongside Nick Robertson Monday in his annual appearance on Mark Madden’s radio show on 105.9 The X.
The NHL’s new labor agreement gave teams less than two weeks between the start of training camp and the start of the regular season.
In Crosby’s case, that has impacted his ability to adjust to Robertson taking over what was once Bryan Rust’s place on his wing opposite Rickard Rakell.
“It’s a shortened camp this year, so we have a lot less time to play together… but I think we’ve gotten better as it’s gone along,” Crosby said Monday about Robertson.
“He’s a guy that’s got a lot of speed, a really good shot, so just want to try to find him in good areas to get that shot off. And he works hard on both sides of the puck, so hopefully we can force some turnovers and he can create with his speed.”
Crosby wasn’t the only member of the Penguins mentioning the impact of the shortened preseason Monday. Kyle Dubas said in his season-opening press conference he felt Joel Blomqvist was hurt by the Penguins only having four preseason games to split between him, Artūrs Šilovs and Sergei Murashov.
Crosby also discussed his retirement timeline in his radio appearance. As he’s mentioned repeatedly this offseason, he said he’s hoping to play for multiple years.
The Penguins captain also said he sees the 2030 Olympics as too far ahead to think about, but considers the 2028 World Cup of Hockey a “great target.”
“When I say I don’t know, that’s the truth,” Crosby said about his career timeline. “I think, when you get to my age… it comes down to a lot of things. It’s how you feel physically, how you feel mentally. Just as far as loving it, and having the passion to compete and put what you need to put into it on a daily basis, that’s got to be there.
“Right now, it’s there. I feel great. I still love it just as much as I did coming into the league.”
Crosby is set to kick off his age-39 campaign Wednesday when the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET for a playoff rematch at the Philadelphia Flyers.
NHL season points projections are a tough task because there are so many unknowns.
A team might look great on paper and then fall apart because of injuries. Just look at the Florida Panthers last season. Their three-peat bid was nearly over before it began when Aleksander Barkov tore his ACL in training camp. But he's back this year.
A team might win the offseason but then struggle to find chemistry. Look at the Nashville Predators two seasons ago when they missed the playoffs after adding Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
The Toronto Maple Leafs led the league in offseason moves this year, adding a new general manager, coach, No. 1 goaltender, top defenseman and making changes to every offensive line. But with the shortened preseason, can they find the right combinations?
Here are our NHL points projections for the 2026-27 season.
Pacific Division
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are hoping new coach Mike Babcock will push the Oilers to greater success.
The Golden Knights traded Pavel Dorofeyev (37 goals) to the Rangers. Can new coach Ryan Craig find a way to make up for that lost offense?
New Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini will try to build on his team-record 2025-26 season. San Jose also added size and experience to the blue line.
The Ducks had to move out players to accommodate big salaries for Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. The defense seems weaker.
The Kings start the post-Anze Kopitar era with coach Peter Laviolette, who's known for success in his first year with a team. He gets to work with Artemi Panarin again.
Mackie Samoskevich, the Kraken's offseason acquisition, is hurt to begin the season.
Flames goalie Dustin Wolf needs a huge season or Calgary's playoff drought will hit five seasons.
The Canucks have a new coach, Manny Malhotra, but few other additions to 2025-26's last-place team. Thatcher Demko and Filip Chytil are hurt.
Central Division
The Avalanche lost some forward depth but have the high-end talent to win the Presidents' Trophy again.
The Stars bring back nearly all of the players for last year's 112-point team, except for promising forward Mavrik Bourque.
The Wild, who need center depth, weren't able to swing a deal for Detroit's Dylan Larkin.
The Mammoth could push for 100 points after adding Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck to join their younger stars.
The Blues came close to a playoff berth last season. They'll be in the mix again this season, especially if Mason McTavish thrives in his new city.
New Predators GM Chris MacFarland had success with the Avalanche and brought some of that team's role players with him.
The 2024 and 2025 champion Panthers are rested after missing the playoffs and they are mostly healthy. They'll be among the top teams again.
The Canadiens, who went to the conference finals, added veteran power-play specialist Chris Kreider to their group of younger players
Lightning captain Victor Hedman is back, and John Carlson will take the place of defenseman Darren Raddysh.
The Sabres won't be as strong without Bowen Byram and Alex Tuch, but they should be a playoff team again.
The Bruins will be without defenseman Charlie McAvoy for the first six games because of his playoff suspension, but new captain David Pastrnak and company remain a playoff threat.
New GM John Chayka's trade for Kirill Marchenko continues a remake that affects the Maple Leafs from top to bottom.
The Red Wings need to get defenseman Simon Edvinsson signed and figure out a solution to Larkin's trade request.
Former captain Brady Tkachuk is in Florida with brother Matthew. That's a big loss for the Senators.
Metropolitan Division
The defending champion Hurricanes are mostly the same and are a repeat threat. They'll certainly win the Metropolitan Division.
The Capitals have multiple 30-goal scorers in newcomers Tuch and Jordan Kyrou, plus returning star Alex Ovechkin.
The Devils were inconsistent last season on right wing and addressed it with Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista.
The Penguins open the season with Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel on the injured list.
Dorofeyev and Sean Durzi make the Rangers deeper, but it might not be enough for a playoff return.
The Flyers raved about Matvei Michkov's training camp. The key will be Dan Vladar providing solid goaltending again.
Matthew Knies is a nice return for Marchenko. The Blue Jackets need to play like they did when coach Rick Bowness joined the team rather how they did down the stretch.
Coach Peter DeBoer gets a full season behind the Islanders bench. He'll need to coax more offense out of the team.
Yes, the Penguins are running it back with their biggest names, at least one more time.
There was some doubt whether GM Kyle Dubas would bring future Hockey Hall of Fame center Evgeni Malkin back for another year at age 40, despite a resurgent campaign in which he scored 19 goals and totaled 61 points in just 56 games in 2025-26.
The two sides agreed to a one-year deal in May, though, that will give Malkin one more chance alongside long-time teammates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, with whom he’s hoisted the Stanley Cup three times.
Together, they’ll look to bounce back from a first-round playoff loss to the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.
It was bitter in the sense that their most hated foe triumphed at their expense. It was sweet in the sense that no one knew whether the three stars would ever share a playoff stage again after bowing out in seven games against the New York Rangers at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Now that they have, Dubas will once again attempt the high wire act of building the franchise’s future while the soul Crosby, Malkin and Letang represent remains intact.
Playoff finish: Eliminated in six games vs Philadelphia Flyers
Coach: Dan Muse (second season)
2026-27 title odds: +8000, per BetMGM
Projected point total: 90
Offseason grade: C
Key roster additions
F Nick Robertson (free agent signing)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (free agent)
D Kaedan Korczak (trade with Las Vegas)
D Declan Carlile
F Andrei Kuzmenko (free agent)
Key roster losses
F Anthony Mantha (free agency)
D Parker Wotherspoon (trade)
F Noel Acciari (free agency)
D Ryan Shea (free agency)
G Stuart Skinner (free agency)
Biggest question entering season
Did Kyle Dubas make the right moves with his blue line?
Only one Eastern Conference team – the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes – scored more goals than the Penguins last season. On the flip side, only two Eastern Conference teams allowed more. GM Kyle Dubas responded by trading established veteran defenseman Wotherspoon (three goals, 27 assists) to Las Vegas and letting counterpart Shea (six goals, 29 assists) walk in free agency to Edmonton. Korczak, van Riemsdyk and Declan Carlile – signed to a two-year contract in free agency – step into that void with lesser track records.
One could argue it’s a nice blank slate to start over with after leaking so many goals in 2025-26. One could also argue it’s a risky strategy that flirts with disaster if these moves don’t work out.
Expect all three acquisitions to be in the mix for major minutes. Prospects Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering could make bids to ascend to the active roster after promising seasons with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton minor league affiliate last season.
Letang will also be in the spotlight along the Penguins’ blue line. The three-time Stanley Cup champion scored just three goals in 74 games last season. It was his lowest total in a mostly healthy season since 2009-10.
Erik Karlsson, meanwhile, will look to keep his renaissance from 2025-26 going. He had 15 goals and 51 assists for a total of 66 points. That’s the kind of puck mover the Penguins hoped they were getting when they acquired the then-reigning Norris Trophy winner coming off a 101-point season in the summer of 2023. They’ll hope for more of the same as he enters the final year of his contract with Pittsburgh.
Projected forward lines (left to right)
Rickard Rakell – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Andrei Kuzmenko – Ben Kindel – Nicholas Robertson
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Elmer Soderblom
Projected defense pairings (left to right)
Trevor van Riemsdyk – Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard – Kris Letang
Declan Carlile – Kaedan Korczak
Projected goaltenders
Arturs Silovs – Sergei Murashov
Potential disruptors
Ville Koivunen signed a lucrative eight-year contract extension with the club in the offseason despite a resume that includes just 14 points at the NHL level. The team has every incentive to find a spot for him as quickly as possible in the event of injury or struggles from anyone on the third line down. Rutger McGroarty is also a name worth watching after nine points during the Baby Penguins’ Calder Cup playoff run this past spring. Defensively, Brunicke seems best positioned to push for NHL minutes.
What to expect in 2026-27 NHL season
Crosby and Letang are 39. Malkin is 40. Karlsson is the young gun member of the veteran core at … 36. Age could catch up to any of them at any time.
Until then, it’s reasonable to assume that this team will continue to score consistently. Rakell and Rust have proven to be capable running mates for Crosby for years. Chinakhov was a pleasant surprise with 18 goals in 43 games after he was acquired at midseason from Columbus. He seems to have found a home within Muse’s system. And Ben Kindel has upside after a rookie season in which he tallied 17 goals.
On the flip side, it’s unreasonable to assume much has been solved defensively until it is. Compounding that issue is uncertainty in net. Silovs is back after producing solidly alongside Skinner last season, but he’s still played less than a full season of NHL hockey with 56 career games. Murashov is the team’s top prospect, whom it’s been careful with on the development track. Blomqvist struggled when he got a cup of coffee with the big club two years ago but has kept the heat on Murashov in the minors.
There’s a chance everything works out and this team nips at Carolina’s heels in the Metropolitan Division. It seems more likely to find itself in a dogfight to make the playoffs again. We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and project another first-round playoff loss, but one rough patch over the winter could easily have them on the outside looking in.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins deflects the puck with his stick during the second period of the preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on September 24, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There just a little over 24 hours before the Pittsburgh Penguins begin their 2026-27 season and the final touches are starting to fall into place as they prepare to head east and take on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow evening. The official start to the season is today, beginning with the Carolina Hurricanes raising a Stanley Cup banner down in Raleigh along with a few rivalry showdowns between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs as well as the Rangers heading to Beantown to meet the Bruins on opening night.
Pens Points…
Hockey season returns in full force this week with NHL regular season action beginning on Tuesday. For the Penguins, their season opens on Wednesday in Philadelphia before the home opener scheduled for Saturday evening against Montreal. [Pensburgh]
On Monday afternoon, the Penguins announced their 2026-27 opening night roster that will hit the ice against the Flyers. Notable absences from the roster include Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel, both of whom will begin the new season on the injured list. [Penguins]
There isn’t much room to spare on the Penguins roster at the moment, but it never hurts to take a glance at the waiver wire to see who is available that could potentially help the Penguins. [Pensburgh]
After the opening night roster was announced, Kyle Dubas met with the media and discussed the state of the team heading into the new season. Dubas broke down some roster decisions and touched on some injuries that will effect the Penguins to start the season. [Penguins]
Early injuries are going to force the Penguins to reconfigure some of the lines from what we saw in training camp and the preseason. This presents the perfect opportunity for some younger players who were perhaps on the outside looking in of making the roster to prove themselves. [PPG]
One question surrounding the Penguins this offseason that remains unanswered as they prepare to drop the puck on the new season is the contract status of Sidney Crosby. This will be the final year of his current deal, but the captain isn’t showing too much concern. [NHL]
Former Penguins forward Matt Nieto announced his retirement from hockey on Monday after 12 NHL seasons. Nieto is the second former Penguin to announce he’s hanging up the skates along with Kevin Hayes who shared his news last week. [Yahoo! Sports]
NHL News and Notes…
Nothing like a blockbuster trade on the eve of a new season to get the juices flowing. Following a tense contract impasse with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kirill Marchenko is headed to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Matthew Knies and other pieces. [NHL]
Early favorites to lift the Stanley Cup include many of the usual suspects, including the defending champions, the team who won it the two years prior, and the reigning President’s Trophy winners from a season ago. [ESPN]
Ready to shine. | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The NHL returns Tuesday night to kick off the 2026-27 season with five games on the schedule, including a meeting of the Southeast contenders and last three Cup champs in the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.
Before all that, there was a huge trade between Toronto and Columbus that included two second-tier stars and a bunch of contracts.
Islanders News
Officially now, the season-opening roster which includes Kyle MacLean and Victor Eklund, one of whom will probably make room for Mat Barzal once he’s healthy. [Isles]
Dan and Mike lament the summer as they return for another season of Islanders Anxiety, and you can also greet them at Zofia’s Hideout for the season opener or in section 101 during the home opener. [LHH]
Island Ice podcast with Andrew Gross: Season preview. [Newsday]
Apparently the Islanders are selling a small stake to a group of undisclosed investors, with the $3 billion full-franchise value reflecting a six-fold increase since when Malkin-Ledecky bought it. [Newsday | Post] Apparently the entity that reported this also owns our site??? [Yahoo Finance]
I don’t know what the hell all this is but if it makes Schaefer and the kids happy then I’m good with it. [NHL]
Elsewhere
The Maple Leafs and Blue Jackets completed a massive trade highlighted by a swap of Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko. [Sportsnet]
Marchenko, who did not want to re-sign in Columbus, signed a six-year extension with the Leafs. [NHL]
Watching the Canes raiser their Cup banner will be “extra motivation” for their opening night foes, the Panthers. [NHL]
On the 591st Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a jam-packed pro sports day on Tuesday.
The NHL’s regular season starts with five games, which overlaps with the start of MLB’s playoffs that same day. Two series in the WNBA playoffs also have games on Tuesday night.
A New York sports fan who roots for the Yankees and Rangers might need to decide whether to focus on their MLB team’s playoff series opener against the rival Red Sox, or the NHL team’s season opener against the rival Bruins. The same holds for a fan of those two Boston clubs.
The hosts talk about why this overlap exists, and whether there’s a better option for when the NHL season should start. They also preview the season, with the Florida Panthers opening as the Stanley Cup favorite. The Tkachuk bothers have united in Florida, which could give the league a marketing opportunity that breaks through to more casual sports fans who don’t follow the NHL on a regular basis.
Next the hosts talk about the NFL game in Brazil between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys. There were 65 points scored, and the Ravens won on the final play, creating a nice advertisement for the league in a critical overseas market. It also quieted controversy from before the game about the quality of the playing surface in the Maracanã Stadium.
The hosts close by running through a few other topics: recent comments made by Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones, a new jersey patch deal for the Philadelphia 76ers and a college sports bill set for a vote in the U.S. Senate.
(You can subscribe to Sporticast through Apple, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts.)
The Boston Bruins defied expectations last season to make the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs just one year after finishing with the NHL’s fifth-worst record.
Can they surpass expectations again?
You won’t find too many people outside of Boston who are predicting the Bruins to reach the playoffs during the 2026-27 season, which starts Tuesday night when the B’s host the rival New York Rangers at TD Garden.
The Daily Faceoff views the Bruins as “playoff long shots.”The Athletic’s analytics model has the Bruins finishing 25th in the standings with just 87 points, as well as a mere 25 percent chance of reaching the playoffs. MoneyPuck’s model gives the B’s a 39.2 percent chance of playoff qualification — only four East teams have worse odds. HockeyStats predicts the Bruins to earn 94 points and barely miss the playoffs.
One of the most common arguments against the Bruins making the playoffs is the fact that the Atlantic Division includes so many good teams. And that’s definitely true. Many of these teams improved over the summer. You could make a legitimate argument for reaching the playoffs for all eight of the teams. The Maple Leafs finished last in the division a year ago, but a healthy Auston Matthews, plus the offseason additions of No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna, forward Kirill Marchenko, defenseman Darren Raddysh and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky suddenly have fans in Toronto feeling excited again.
The Florida Panthers finished seventh in the division last year, largely due to many of their best players missing a ton of games due to injuries. But with a healthy roster and the offseason addition of forward Brady Tkachuk, the Panthers are a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup for a third time this decade.
Despite the tough road ahead, my prediction for the Bruins ahead of the upcoming season is they make the playoffs as the second wild card team in the Eastern Conference.
The primary source of optimism for the Bruins is the goaltending. Jeremy Swayman consistently gives the B’s a chance to win. He was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career last season, and after an impressive showing in the 2026 playoffs, there’s no reason to believe his performance will dip in a meaningful way going forward.
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The combination of Swayman and Michael DiPietro might end up being one of the league’s top goalie duos. DiPietro played fantastic for the Providence Bruins each of the last three years and won the AHL’s MVP award in 2025-26. He could be a big upgrade over Boston’s previous backup netminder Joonas Korpisalo.
The acquisition of top-six forward JJ Peterka should pay immediate dividends for Boston, too. He has scored 25-plus goals in each of the last three seasons, and he should hit the 30-goal mark this season, especially if he plays alongside David Pastrnak. Peterka’s offensive skill and speed represent an upgrade over Viktor Arvidsson.
Pastrnak, if healthy, should be able to tally 100-plus points for the fifth straight year. His 71 assists last season ranked fifth in the league and were a new career high. His growth as a playmaker has been remarkable, especially when you consider the fact that the talent around him is less than what many other players of his caliber skate with every night. NHL Network recently ranked Pastrnak as the eighth-best player in the sport.
Morgan Geekie scored a career-high 39 goals last season. Some experts point to his high shooting percentages and claim he’s long overdue for a regression, but his shot is elite, and he’s more of a shot quality over shot quantity player. Pavel Zacha posted career highs in goals and points last season, but he’s also playing for a new contract. He has all the motivation needed to continue producing at a high level.
The Bruins ranked 10th in goals scored last season but found it difficult to score in the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres. Boston averaged just 1.25 goals scored over the last four games of that first-round series. Many critics of the Bruins’ roster see a similar scoring regression coming in the 2026-27 regular season. One stat they point to is Boston ranking No. 2 in goals scored above expected last season.
A couple younger players will play a role in ensuring that regression either doesn’t happen or isn’t steep.
Top prospect James Hagens has an impressive offensive skill set and could even challenge for the Calder Trophy. He should provide a nice boost to the power play, too, with his playmaking ability and accurate shot. Fraser Minten had an impressive first full NHL campaign in 2025-26 and could hit the 25-goal mark this coming season. Marat Khusnutdinov should reach another level, too.
Frederic Brunet, who scored 12 goals for the AHL’s Providence Bruins last season, made the Opening Night roster. The 23-year-old defenseman’s offensive-minded skill set should help the B’s create more scoring chances from the blue line.
“Well, obviously just the skill set from Hagens. Hopefully that continues to grow and he becomes a point-producer in the game and has the details all dialed in,” Bruins president Cam Neely said at a press conference Monday. “Brunet, hopefully he can add a little bit more offensive punch on the blue line for us, be a steady defender, move the puck well, good first pass, get up in the play. Those are the things that I anticipate the growth of those two players.”
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jeremy Swayman and David Patrnak celebrate a playoff win.
The Bruins have a better and deeper roster than they did last season. The three franchise pillars of Pastrnak, Swayman and top defenseman Charlie McAvoy are surrounded by a good mix of veterans and young players. The ceiling of this Bruins team likely will be decided by the growth and improvement of players such as Hagens and Minten. If they exceed expectations and become important pieces of the puzzle earlier than expected, the B’s could surprise a lot of people again.
Sure, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Bruins missed the playoffs. The division — and the East as a whole — is loaded with good teams. An injury to a key player or two could also prove very difficult to overcome. Losing McAvoy for the first six games due to suspension is a tough setback.
But there’s absolutely enough talent up and down the roster, combined with very good coaching from Marco Sturm, for the Bruins to be in the hunt for a wild card spot. Is this team capable of winning a round in the playoffs? Potentially. But getting into the tournament would be enough to grade the 2026-27 season as a success.
“We’re looking to see some of our players improve upon last year,” Neely said Monday. “All those things combined, some guys had a taste of playoffs for the first time. It’s a nice feeling to be in the playoffs, but obviously, you want to win the last game of the season.
“So, we’ve got some work to do in that regard, but as I mentioned earlier, I thought our group did a really nice job of laying a foundation to get back to where we want to be as an organization. It’s just got to be competing every night. You may not play well every night, but you’ve got to compete every night.”
What the Blueshirts are hoping to establish is not so much a message as it is a mutual understanding. It can be found in the little habits of the day-to-day, the dedication to building a team game and the club’s push to adopt a collective mentality as one cohesive unit.
No cutesy phrase or inspirational rallying cry is going to be the difference for this team as it embarks on a consequential season.
After all, “There Was Some Quit In New York.”
The Rangers tried to implement an “It Takes Everyone” mentality. It turned out that “Everyone Was Pissed.”
And when the team donned “No BS” as its formal proclamation last year, quite a bit of BS followed.
“We can put slogans and signs on T-shirts and hang things on the wall — which is great — but we have to believe it, and we have to live it every second of every day,” head coach Mike Sullivan said on the eve of the opening night matchup Tuesday in Boston. “If we do that, we’ve got something. We’re trying to build a belief in a process that we’re applying every day, where our players and coaches and everyone buys into it. We’ll see where that takes us.”
Sullivan cited attitude and effort — two controllables — as key factors in the Rangers reaching their potential this season.
Captain J.T. Miller won’t dwell on last season and won’t look past the first period of the first game against the Bruins.
New York Rangers forward JT Miller is seen on the ice against the New York Islanders in the third period at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
The usual pomp and circumstance at the start of a season is noticeably missing in New York, but it feels by design. It’s all business. Nothing can be said that hasn’t already been said a million times before.
“We know what to expect of each other,” Miller told The Post.
The Rangers were fortunate to have both rookie goalie Dylan Garand and veteran forward Taylor Raddysh clear waivers on their way to AHL Hartford to start the season. It fortified the organization’s depth, particularly at the goaltending position, which has been a hot commodity on the waiver wire this preseason.
Alberts Smits bulldozing his way into the Rangers’ Opening Night lineup was beneficial for defensive depth as well.
The Latvian blueliner looked poised to start the season with the Blueshirts very early on in training camp, but he proved his NHL-ready projection right with every exhibition game he played.
New York Islanders’ Pierre Engvall pursues New York Rangers’ Alberts Smits during the second period at UBS Arena, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Like he’s been since the start of preseason, Smits was nonchalant about becoming the first 18-year-old defenseman on the Rangers since Dave Maloney 52 years ago. Asked if he expected to make the team, the new No. 12 said it’s the reason he came to New York.
“I don’t really care if you’re 18 or 30 or 60, job’s going to stay the same,” he said. “So yeah, I’m just trying to focus on the instructions that the coaches are giving us and trying to execute as best as I can.”
The last time the Rangers carried eight defensemen out of training camp was the 2021-22 season, when they didn’t want to waive Nils Lundkvist and/or Libor Hajek out of fear of them being claimed. To give an idea of how much has changed since then, Adam Fox is the only holdover from that defense corps.
It was a similar situation on defense this training camp. The Rangers opted to keep Scott Morrow around instead of exposing him on the waiver wire and potentially losing him for nothing.
“We think Scott [Morrow] had a strong camp also,” Sullivan said. “Right now … our roster is the way it is. We feel like the guys that are here are deserving to be here, and that’s why they’re here. Both Scott and [Matthew Robertson], we feel have had pretty good training camps also, and so based on what we have — the roster, the business side of the game, all those things — the decisions were made accordingly.”
A certain energy has crackled in the air at City National Arena throughout training camp and the preseason. There is a hunger, a sense of urgency that has nothing to do with the shortened preseason. And everyone in the Vegas Golden Knights organization, from the players to the head coach to the general manager, speaks of unfinished business.
By now, everyone knows the story of the 2025-26 Vegas Golden Knights. After a regular season full of struggles that led to a late-season coaching change, they went on an improbable Cinderella run in the playoffs. With John Tortorella at the helm, the Golden Knights dispatched the Utah Mammoth, breezed by the Anaheim Ducks, and swept the President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
Winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history would have been the perfect ending to an unbelievable story; ultimately, the Golden Knights fell just two wins short of the ultimate goal.
“The belief of our organization is there’s unfinished business,” said first-year head coach Ryan Craig at the start of training camp. “When I use the words starting over, it’s because we don’t get back to that point without starting at zero again in the regular season and earning our way back to having that opportunity.
“When I say we’re starting over, we are,” Craig continued. “We started over today. But the guys that were on this team last year have unfinished business; our organization has unfinished business in the sense of where our standards are and what we hope to accomplish.”
Summer is over now, and while the pain of losing is no longer raw, it left scars that can only be healed by the joy of winning.
“Obviously, it was disappointing last year to go as far as we did and not come out victorious,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone on Monday. “It’s the first time I’ve been that far without winning.”
Monday morning marked the first official practice of the regular season, and the sense of urgency only increased. The Golden Knights host the Chicago Blackhawks for their home opener on Tuesday night, and they know that they have to start strong to reach the top of the summit once more.
“Every year is a new challenge, and this year’s no different,” Stone said following Monday’s practice. “We’ll have to try and dial in a good start to the season, to bank points, because they all matter at the end of the day. If you can get off to a good start, those lulls in the middle of the season that you’re gonna have are less magnified.”
Saying that players want to play games that matter isn’t anything new. But this year, for the Golden Knights, the start of the regular season isn’t just an end to meaningless preseason hockey.
It’s a shot at redemption.
“We’re starting at game one,” said head coach Ryan Craig on Monday. “So, how are we going to build ourselves back to… an opportunity to take care of business? I want to see the group continue to play to their strengths and understand who they are. To figure that out, we’re gonna have to go through the highs and lows of the season.
“There’s lots of stuff for us to figure out as a group,” Craig continued. “It’s a long journey that we’re excited about. We’re gonna learn a lot about each other individually and then as a group… I’m excited to see the urgency level rise from exhibition to game one. I think it’s gonna jump here quite a bit because, you know, even though we’ve only been in camp for 11 days, the guys are ready to play. I’m happy that we’re playing game one.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — After saying that Kirill Marchenko would be with the Columbus Blue Jackets for the start of the season, general manager Don Waddell dealt the forward as part of a major seven-player deal to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday as NHL teams were finalizing their opening week rosters.
The Blue Jackets also dealt goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and left wing Miles Wood to the Maple Leafs for left wing Matthew Knies, defenseman Emil Andrae, center Steven Lorentz and a conditional second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Marchenko was in the last year of his contract, but agreed to a six-year $75 million extension with the Maple Leafs. He relayed to Columbus' front office before the draft in June that he didn't intend to sign an extension with the Blue Jackets.
Waddell said the situation with Marchenko and star defenseman Zach Werenski were not the same. The Norris Trophy winner also said during the offseason he wasn't ready to sign an extension, but also vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars.
“I’ve had discussions with his agent, which we won’t discuss right now, but Marchenko’s going to be a Blue Jackets when the season starts,” Waddell said on July 2.
The 26-year old Russian was a second-round pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2018 draft. He didn't make his NHL debut until 2022, but tied or led the team in scoring the past three seasons.
Marchenko had a team-high 27 goals last season and was second in points with 67. He had 102 goals and 208 points during his four seasons in Columbus.
In Knies, the Blue Jackets get a forward who battled injuries last season, but still finished with a career-best 66 points, including 23 goals. He is expected to be on one of the top two scoring lines.
The 23-year-old Knies was previously viewed as an important piece of Toronto’s future. He had a career-high 29 goals and 58 points in 2024-25 playing on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
“Matthew is a big, strong power forward who combines tough, hard-nosed physical play with outstanding offensive skills,” Waddell said in a statement after the trade was announced. “He is a young player with great character and work ethic and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Blue Jackets family.”
Merzlikins is currently on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He had a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 goals-against average and .993 save percentage in 30 appearances last season as a backup to Blue Jackets starter Jet Greaves.
Wood, recently put on waivers, has 99 goals and 97 assists in 567 career games with New Jersey, Colorado and Columbus.
Lorentz, a Stanley Cup winner with the Florida Panthers in 2024, had 15 goals and 22 assists over two seasons in Toronto.
Andrae ended a very short tenure in Toronto. He was acquired in a June trade with Philadelphia. Andrae had three goals and 17 assists over 107 games with the Flyers, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL draft.
With only days separating them from the start of the 2026-27 NHL campaign, the Detroit Red Wings continue to face more questions than answers.
In the first place, defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains a restricted free agent and, despite having reported to Training Camp and taken part in non-scrimmage drills, is ineligible to play without a contract.
Secondly, former captain Dylan Larkin remains with the club despite his trade request that became public knowledge in early June.
Larkin, who suffered an off-ice training injury just before the start of Training Camp, has skated with his teammates the last few days, but did not appear in any of Detroit's four preseason games (neither did Edvinsson).
While his status for Detroit's regular season opener on Oct. 2 has yet to be decided, Larkin has participated in the last handful of practices, something his teammates say is a positive.
"It's good," said defenseman Moritz Seider about having Larkin on the ice in practice. "Obviously, he's still dealing with his injury, that's why he's probably not in the regular lines right now. But it's good to see him out there. He brings a lot of energy, and everyone is excited."
According to head coach Todd McLellan, Larkin's presence is a positive, while also noting he has some work to do to get back up to speed after missing all of Training Camp and the entire preseason slate of games.
"It's good to have him on the ice; I think that's where it's the most comfortable for everybody," McLellan said. "He's a hockey player and a really good hockey player. He's looked like he's had some time off, and he needs to skate a little bit more."
"I paid a little more attention to him today; with his injury, the training part of it isn't quite where it would normally be, and we're two weeks ahead of him now," he continued. "So, like any injury, even if it's during the middle of the season, you have to get back up to pace. And we'll help him with that."
As far as his status for Friday's season opener, McLellan said that's still up in the air.
"He has - I believe he has a doctor's appointment today at some point, and we'll get more of a feedback from the physicians at that time to see where he's at," McLellan said.
Larkin is coming off his fifth-straight season of reaching at least 30 goals scored. But he is no longer the club's captain, a role he'd held since being named the official successor to Henrik Zetterberg in January 2021.
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With the oncoming start of a new NHL season comes the beginning of milestone countdowns for the Vancouver Canucks. 15 Canucks are currently on track to hit games-played milestones in 2026–27, with the numbers ranging from 100 to 1200.
Six Canucks Could Hit The 100-Game Mark In 2026–27
A total of six Canucks are slated to hit the 100-game mark during the 2026–27 season. The first in line to do so is defenceman Elias Pettersson, who needs only two more games to get to 100. If all goes as planned, this could mean he reaches the mark as early as Vancouver’s home-opener against the Edmonton Oilers on October 1.
After Pettersson on the 100-game trail is Liam Öhgren, who will hit the milestone in his third game of the season — the earliest being October 3 versus the Calgary Flames. Max Sasson is next, with five games to play in before reaching 100 in his career. If he plays in all of Vancouver’s first five games of the year, he’ll hit the mark on October 8 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Three of Vancouver’s young defencemen are also within striking distance of 100 career games. Zeev Buium is currently the closest of the three with 24 to go, with the earliest date of reaching the milestone being November 19 against the Seattle Kraken. Tom Willander is next, requiring 30 games in 2026–27 to hit a career-total of 100. He could hit this mark as early as December 1 against the Washington Capitals.
Finally, if Victor Mancini plays in 45 games through the 2026–27 season, he’ll reach 100 through his NHL career. Playing in all of Vancouver’s first 45 games of the year would see him collect the milestone on January 5 against the New York Islanders, though with Vancouver’s D-core already projected, this is unlikely to happen.
Marco Rossi & Paul Cotter Could Reach 300, Drew O’Connor En Route To 400 Games
The next wave of games-played milestones in regards to the number of games played would see Marco Rossi and Paul Cotter reach 300 career-NHL games and Drew O’Connor reach the 400-game mark.
Of these three, the closest to their respective milestone is Cotter, who is four away from the 300-mark. Beginning the season with the team and skating in all four of their first games would put his 300th-game date on October 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
A bigger distance away is Rossi, who is 65 games away from 300 in his NHL career. The forward has only played in more than 65 games twice in his career, though if he can stay healthy, it’s not unreasonable to think he could do it in 2026–27. Playing in all of Vancouver’s games would see Rossi hit this milestone on February 25 against the St. Louis Blues.
Finally, O’Connor will need to play in nearly every game of the 2026–27 season to hit 400 NHL games, as he requires 77 to reach the milestone. The forward has skated in full-seasons for the past two years, even playing in 84 games in 2024–25 due to trades and his team’s schedules. If he remains with the Canucks past the 2026 Trade Deadline, he’ll reach 400 career games with Vancouver on March 25 versus the Golden Knights.
Two Canucks Veterans Are On Pace To Hit 600 NHL Games In 2026–27
Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek are the two Canucks looking to hit the 600-game mark in 2026–27.
If both players skate in all of Vancouver’s games, Pettersson will be the one to reach the milestone first. The forward skated in his 500th-career NHL game on December 27, 2025 against the San Jose Sharks and became the 29th player to play in all 500 games with Vancouver. If he plays in all 600 games with Vancouver, he’ll be the 17th player in franchise history to do so. Pettersson requires 55 games to get to 600, with the projected date of this mark taking place on January 28 against the Dallas Stars.
Hronek will need a little more time than Pettersson to hit the 600-game mark, as he’ll need a total of 67 before he can reach it. He skated in his 500th-career NHL game on January 19, 2026 against the Islanders. The earliest date Hronek can hit 600 games by during the 2026–27 season is March 3 versus the Chicago Blackhawks.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Liam Ohgren (92) and defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and forward Ty Mueller (39) and forward Jake DeBrusk (74) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) and goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) celebrate their victory against the Los Angeles Kings in overtime at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Brock Boeser & Jake DeBrusk Eyeing 700-Career NHL Games Played
If both players remain with the Canucks and skate in all games through 2026–27, Boeser and DeBrusk will hit the 700-career NHL game mark one game away from one-another. Boeser is currently 71 games away from the milestone, while DeBrusk requires one extra with 72 to go.
Boeser hit the 600-game mark on January 17 against the Oilers during the 2025–26 season, becoming the 16th player in franchise history to reach the mark entirely with Vancouver. Playing in all 71 games leading up to the milestone would see the forward reach 700 on March 13 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
DeBrusk reached 600 games only a little more than a week after Boeser did, skating in his 600th on January 29, 2026 against the Anaheim Ducks. Barring any injuries or roster moves, DeBrusk is projected to hit the 700-game mark a day after Boeser, on March 14, when the Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators.
Jamie Oleksiak Is Only 42 Games Away From 800
When Oleksiak signed with the Canucks in free-agency, he automatically became one of the team’s longest-tenured NHL players, second only to fellow defenceman Luke Schenn. Heading into the 2026–27 season, he only needs 42 more games to reach the 800-game mark in his career.
Tracing his previous season’s projections, this should be a reasonable goal for Oleksiak to reach, as he’s skated in more than 42 games throughout his past seven seasons in the NHL. Last season, the defenceman played in 78 games for the Kraken.
The earliest date that Oleksiak can reach the 800-game mark is, ironically enough, against his former team on December 30.
A Near Full-Season Will See Luke Schenn Hit 1200 NHL Games
The Canuck with the biggest potential milestone on the dockett for the 2026–27 season is none-other than now three-time Canucks defenceman Schenn. Currently at 1122 NHL games played, the defenceman is 78 games away from reaching the 1200-game mark in his career. 139 of his current game total has been spent with Vancouver throughout the two other stints he played in.
If he plays in all the Canucks’ games from the start of the season to the 78-game mark, Schenn will hit 1200 against the very team that traded him to Vancouver in his first stint with the team, the Ducks. This game is currently scheduled for March 27 in Vancouver.
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Although we had a general idea of what the San Jose Sharks' roster would look like when they take the ice on Thursday against the Florida Panthers, the organization has officially confirmed their 23-man roster ahead of the compliance deadline. On Monday afternoon, they announced who will remain in the NHL.
Forwards
Macklin Celebrini
Igor Chernyshov
Ty Dellandrea
Barclay Goodrow
Collin Graf
Brett Leason
Mason Marchment
Michael Misa
Zack Ostapchuk
Kiefer Sherwood
Will Smith
Ivar Stenberg
Tyler Toffoli
Alexander Wennberg
Defensemen
Nolan Allan
Luca Cagnoni
Sam Dickinson
Michael Kesselring
Darnell Nurse
Dmitry Orlov
Jacob Trouba
Goaltenders
Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic
Additional Notes:
Injured Reserve
Alex Barre-Boulet
Logan Couture
Adam Gaudette
Non-Roster
Patrick Giles
Mattias Havelid
Kyle Keyser
Cam Lund
Quentin Musty
All non-roster players are expected to be reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda after they recover from their current injuries. Adam Gaudette is expected to remain in the NHL, however his role when he returns is still up in the air. Alex Barre-Boulet may get a depth role in the NHL when he returns, but only if there are other injuries at that time. Otherwise, he'll also likely be heading to the American Hockey League.
When Alberts Šmits came to New York for training camp, he knew, in the back of his mind, that he would make the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster.
“Yeah, obviously,” Šmits said of whether he expected to make the team. “That’s why I came here.”
When the Rangers selected Šmits with the fifth-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, they touted him as the most pro-ready defenseman in the draft class.
Šmits is proving that to be true so far, as he made the Rangers’ opening-night roster out of training camp after an impressive two-week showing and will be in the lineup for New York’s first regular-season game against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, officially beginning his professional hockey career.
“That’s a step I wanted to take over the last years, and over the summer, and now that I have accomplished making the team, it does not stop there,” Šmits said. “I think it’s just the start of a long journey.”
Despite entering training camp as one of the biggest unknowns, Šmits quickly proved that he can hold his own and thrive against NHL players.
Mike Sullivan had the 18-year-old defenseman practice with the main NHL group for the entirety of training camp, a clear indication that the organization was serious about giving Šmits a chance to make the team.
Over the past two weeks, Šmits has primarily slotted onto the Blueshirts’ third defensive pairing alongside Braden Schneider.
He ended up playing in three of the four preseason games, including one in which he recorded over 23 minutes of ice time.
The speculation going into training camp was that Šmits would likely start the year in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack, but his play flipped that narrative entirely.
Sullivan was thoroughly impressed with Šmits maturity for a young defensemen, and he quickly realized that the 2026 fifth overall was worthy of making the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
“He’s made the team, he’s made the opening roster because he’s deserving,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “We feel based on where he’s at, we don’t think he’s overwhelmed. We think he belongs. The reason we think he belongs is through his play.
“The size and strength of him as a player at this point, the path that he’s taken to get here and playing the game against men, for all of those reasons, we think he’s deserving of being here… He played extremely well throughout the course of training camp, played well in the exhibition games. We think he’s deserving.”
The Rangers plan to carry eight defensemen to kick off the 2026-27 season, with Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow serving as extras.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues officially introduced their 2026-27 opening night roster, submitting their 23-man unit by Monday's 4 p.m. (CT) deadline.
With defensemen Logan Mailloux (hand) and Tyler Tucker (knee) on injured-reserve, defenseman Adam Jiricek (first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft) and Justin Barron (claimed off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Sunday) have made the opening night roster.
Also as expected, Zach Dean and Dillon Dube are the 13th and 14th forwards on the roster.
The Blues will begin the season with three-game road trip against their division rivals, including the Dallas Stars (Friday), the Colorado Avalanche (Saturday), and the Chicago Blackhawks (Oct. 6) before returning for the home opener Oct. 8 against the San Jose Sharks.
Friday night’s game in Dallas will be televised on TNT and broadcast on 101 ESPN on the radio while the final two games of the trip will be simulcast on Blue Note+ and 101 ESPN. Fans can visit the “Where to Watch” page on the Blues’ website for additional information on all broadcasts throughout the season.
Prior to the home opener, the Blues will hold an opening night rally as part of Dobbs Face-Off Week from 3-5:30 p.m. at Union Station. The rally will be free and open to Blues fans of all ages with or without a ticket to the game. The celebration will conclude with a fan march, led by the Saint Boogie Brass Band, down Clark Avenue to Enterprise Center for pregame warmups and the unveiling of the new pregame show and the 2026-27 roster.
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