We said it earlier this summer, on more than one occasion – if the Buffalo Sabres intend on ending their Stanley Cup playoff drought at 14 years, they can’t afford to let the injury bug take a major bite out of their roster. Obviously, that’s something that only the Hockey Gods can control, but the Sabres simply don’t have the organizational depth to withstand the damage if someone meaningful is sidelined for a notable stretch of time.

With that in mind, if you’re a Sabres fan, you have ample reason to begin the season concerned for the Sabres on the health front. Because on Friday, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff revealed the news – Buffalo No. 1 goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and defenseman Michael Kesselring would begin the year in the injury ward. Luukkonen is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, while Kesselring is also out week-to-week, this because of an undisclosed injury. 

In both cases, the Sabres had notable expectations for Luukkonen and Kesselring. Kesselring was on course to play on Buffalo’s second defense pairing after the Sabres acquired him this summer in the J.J. Peterka trade. The goaltending picture is a little easier for Buffalo management to handle, given there’s three other goalies – Alex Lyon, Devon Levi and Alexandar Georgiev – to potentially step up in Luukkonen’s absence, and given that the Sabres don’t want to put the weight of the world on youngster Levi’s shoulders, you have to assume Lyon and Georgiev will begin the year as Buffalo’s two goalies.

Of course, that plan could be entirely out the window if the Sabres can’t get solid performances out of Lyon and Georgiev. Buffalo’s desperation to be a playoff team this year could mean they do turn to Levi at some point – especially if Luukonen can’t return to the form he showed only a couple of seasons ago. A netminding crisis will almost assuredly cause Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to panic – and rightfully so, as his job security depends on it – and Levi will probably be their last line of defense to salvage their season.

As it stands, the Sabres are trying not to make eye contact with the injury bug and be 100 percent healthy once Luukkonen and Kesselring return to action. But coming out of the gate with two pieces of the puzzle on the sidelines is not a great harbinger on how things are going to unfold for them the rest of the way. 

Sabres Should Be Looking Into Trading For One Of These Maple Leafs Forwards-On-The-BlockThe Toronto Maple Leafs are about to finish their 2025-26 training camp, and as it happens, the Maple Leafs are very deep at every position -- but certainly, the most depth they've got is on the wings. And as we'll exploain, we're telling you this because the Buffalo Sabres should be looking into acquiring into one of a few veteran Leafs wingers in particular: right winger/center Calle Jarnkrok, and left-wingers David Kampf and Nick Robertson.

There’s still 82 games to be played by the Sabres, and who knows – maybe this early adversity is a rallying point for Buffalo. Maybe they show the expectations on them have been unfairly lowered. Right now, there’s still plenty of time left for them to be the authors of their destiny.

That said, nobody will care to hear Buffalo’s excuses if injuries do cause the Sabres’ playoff hopes to dwindle and die on the vine. This is a bottom-line business the Sabres are in, and if their playoff drought extends to a 15th consecutive season, Buffalo won’t be able to couch it with lines like “moral victory” or any kind of victory, for that matter.

Sabres' Second Line Must Lead The Way For Buffalo's Forwards This YearThe Buffalo Sabres need a lot of things to go right for them to be a Stanley Cup playoff team this coming season. They need their goalies to pan out with strong performances. They need star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to put on a defensive clinic and carrry Buffalo to a strong defensive game. And one thing could also be the difference between the Sabres missing or making the 2026 playoffs -- namely, the play of Buffalo's second line of forwards: center Ryan McLeod, and wingers Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker.

Healthy or unhealthy, the Sabres are going to be judged this year only by the bottom line in the wins and losses department. They’ve got to make do with whomever’s healthy enough to play, and let the chips fall where they may. 

And the ramifications that will follow will be well-earned, one way or another.

With the preseason now in the books, the Ottawa Senators cut their roster from 31 to 24 players on Sunday afternoon, with seven players ticketed for the AHL's Belleville Senators.

Stephen Halliday is waivers-exempt, so he's been loaned directly to Belleville. Jan Jenik, Hayden Hodgson, Olle Lycksell, Arthur Kaliyev, Lassi Thomson and Mads Sogaard have been put on waivers for the purpose of a loan to the B-Sens.

Many fans today are pointing to last fall when Adam Gaudette was placed on waivers at the end of camp, yet he still made the Senators’ opening-night NHL roster. But that's not likely to happen with any of today’s assignments, which are specifically labelled for the "purpose of being loaned to Belleville."  According to Puckpedia, Gaudette didn't have that label when he was waived last year.

So, all seven of these players are expected to report to Belleville if/after they clear waivers, and that leaves just one extra player in camp that the Sens have to let go before Monday’s 5:00 p.m. deadline because the NHL's maximum roster size is 23.

Tyler Kleven and Drake Batherson are still dinged up right now, so the Sens are probably waiting for one more day of healing before making the decision on who their last cut will be.

For example, if Batherson is still hurt, MacDermid would likely move into the starting 12 for Thursday’s opener. At the same time, the team probably wouldn't want to head for a two-game Florida road trip this week with no extra forward. So one of the forwards who was placed on waivers today would probably be recalled for the trip. If that happens, the Sens might keep one fewer defenseman than they were planning.

That’s just one of the potential variables, and there’s nothing to say the Sens couldn’t decide to roster 22 players if they choose and go with just one extra D and one extra forward.

If nothing else, Kleven and Batherson are close to returning — even if they miss opening night. So the last cut between now and tomorrow is likely a defenseman, and we’re still of the opinion that Carter Yakemchuk will end up in Belleville, where he’ll get to play big, important minutes.

With today's news, here's what a sample lineup might look like if they go with a full 23-man roster.

Forwards

Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux

Fabian Zetterlund – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson

Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – David Perron

Nick Cousins – Lars Eller – Michael Amadio

Kurtis MacDermid (extra)

Defence

Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence

Nikolas Matinpalo (extra #1) – Donovan Sebrango (extra #2)

Goalies

Linus Ullmark - Leevi Merilainen

The Senators open the 2025-26 regular season in Tampa Bay on Thursday night, taking on the Lightning.

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When Chase Stillman learned he’d been traded to the Vancouver Canucks organization this summer, it was unexpected but exciting. Rather than dwelling on the uncertainty of being moved, not once, but twice in the same season, the 22-year-old forward is choosing to focus on what it represents: opportunity.

“It was awesome,” Stillman said. “Obviously, getting traded twice in the same season is a lot on a player, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to look at it as someone wanting you. I got traded for a pretty important piece on the team last year, so it’s clear they see me as high value.”

That mindset —resilient, grounded, and optimistic — has defined Stillman’s approach to his career so far. The American-born winger, originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, joins the Canucks organization that prizes speed, grit, and relentless competition. After a strong showing at training camp, Stillman began the year in Abbotsford, where he’s eager to establish himself as a key piece of the team’s forward group.

“I just want to get my foot in the door and play in the NHL,” Stillman said. “Regardless of what that takes or what kind of player I have to be to get there. That’s the goal this year. It’s a brand new season, zeros across the board, so I’m just trying to enjoy the process.”

Over the summer, Stillman focused on building both his physical strength and mental resilience. He trained with his agency’s development group alongside other pros, sharpening his skating and conditioning, but he admits the mental reset was just as important.

“It was a tough start to last year, for sure,” he reflected. “But mentally, I’ve been working on building back my confidence and remembering that every season is a clean slate. I’ve been really excited about coming here. The fans are great, and obviously, Canada loves their hockey.”

Stillman’s enthusiasm for Vancouver is palpable, and he’s already experienced a taste of what’s to come. “I played in the exhibition game here in Abbotsford, and it was pretty rowdy,” he laughed. “I’m excited to see what it’s like during the regular season for sure.”

Hockey runs deep in the Stillman family. His father, Cory, played over 1,000 NHL games and won two Stanley Cups, while his brother, Riley, is a defenceman in the Buffalo Sabres organization. When asked if his brother had any advice about playing in Vancouver, Chase smiled.

“Yeah, he said the fans really like their hockey here. Regardless of what you do or what your job is, if you do your job really well, you’re going to be liked. There’s no better feeling than when you’ve got fans that love the way you play.”

For Stillman, that’s what this new chapter is about: proving himself to a new city, a new organization, and to the fans who fill the stands. “I just want to show them that I’m a fun player to watch,” he said. “That I can do a lot of things on the ice. I’m excited to get going.”

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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With the 2025-26 NHL regular season almost here, several players were placed on waivers on Oct. 5. The Philadelphia Flyers were one of the clubs involved, as they placed newcomer Carl Grundstrom on waivers shortly after acquiring him from the San Jose Sharks. 

Yet, four former Flyers have also been placed on waivers, as Cal Petersen (Minnesota Wild), Tyler Pitlick (Wild), Erik Gustafsson (Detroit Red Wings), and Olle Lycksell (Ottawa Senators) have all hit the wire. 

Petersen signed with the Wild this summer. This was after he had a 13-15-3 record, a .885 save percentage, and a 3.14 goals-against average in 31 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2024-25. In five games with the Flyers in 2023-24, he had a 2-2-0 record, a .864 save percentage, and a 3.90 goals-against average. 

Pitlick also signed with the Wild during the summer. In 63 games with the Flyers during the 2019-20 season, he posted eight goals, 12 assists, 20 points, and a plus-11 rating. 

Gustafsson is entering his second season with the Red Wings, where he carries a $2 million cap hit. In 24 games with the Flyers during the 2020-21 season, he recorded one goal, 10 points, and a minus-2 rating. 

As for Lycksell, he signed with the Senators this summer. In 45 games over three NHL seasons with the Flyers from 2022-23 to 2024-25, he recorded one goal, 11 points, 14 hits, and 16 blocks. 

The NHL saw several players around the league be placed on waivers on Oct. 5. The Montreal Canadiens were one of the many teams that placed players on waivers, as Sammy Blais and Kaapo Kahkonen hit the wire.

Two former Canadiens are also available to be potentially claimed, as the Carolina Hurricanes have placed Cayden Primeau on waivers, while the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Michael Pezzetta on waivers. 

Primeau's time with the Canadiens organization came to an end this off-season, as he was traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick back in June. This was after he had a 2-3-1 record, an .836 save percentage, and a 4.70 goals-against average in 11 games with the Canadiens last season. He also had a 21-2-2 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 1.96 goals-against average in 26 AHL games with the Laval Rocket in 2024-25.

In 55 games over six seasons with the Canadiens, Primeau had a 13-24-7 record, an .884 save percentage, and a 3.69 goals-against average. 

Pezzetta, on the other hand, signed a two-year contract with the Maple Leafs this off-season. This was after he recorded zero points, 24 penalty minutes, 73 hits, and a minus-2 rating in 25 games with the Canadiens last season. 

In 200 games over four seasons with the Canadiens, Pezzetta posted 15 goals, 23 assists, 38 points, 241 penalty minutes, and 710 hits. 

The Philadelphia Flyers finished the 2025 preseason with a 3-4-0 record, needing a shootout to achieve each of those three wins. Despite some new players impressing, there are causes for concern, too.

Chief among those concerns is the performance of the defense, especially the third defense pairing, as the group continues to adjust to the new Box +1 system preferred by Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet.

The Flyers already waived Dennis Gilbert on Saturday, so the final three roster spots on defense, at least for now, are going to Adam Ginning, Egor Zamula, and free agent addition Noah Juulsen.

Stock Up: Adam Ginning

A disastrous preseason and training camp last year left many, including myself, thinking Ginning, 25, was effectively done for at the NHL level with the Flyers.

Ginning appeared in just one NHL game for the Flyers last season and played a measly eight minutes, but a solid AHL campaign and offseason have put him right back where he was at the end of 2023-24.

The Flyers' former second-round pick won't be mistaken for Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes, but he has the size the team wants at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, and uses that size far more effectively than Zamula, for example.

I still have reservations about Ginning's ability to move the puck, but he's no more mistake-prone than Zamula in that regard while being a substantially more physical and quicker (relative to his size) player.

He's earned his spot on this roster, though we'll have to see if he keeps it when Rasmus Ristolainen returns from injury.

Stock Down: Egor Zamula

Those of you who have followed my coverage of the Flyers on here often know that I was skeptical of Tocchet's patience for Zamula's play, and it seems that Thursday's preseason loss to the New York Islanders pushed Tocchet over the hump.

Injured Flyers Prospect Missing Out on Big OpportunityIn what is shaping up to be a race to the bottom in the battle for a roster spot on defense, injured Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk is, unfortunately, missing out on a big opportunity.

Zamula, 25, has squarely lost his spot to Ginning and has shown little development over the last two seasons, and he's prone to turnovers and doesn't use his size.

Zamula already carries a $1.7 million cap hit and is on an expiring deal, like Ginning; I can't see him re-signing and/or earning a raise unless he can completely turn over a new leaf by April.

Stock Up: Nikita Grebenkin

Seemingly everyone's favorite Flyers rookie, Nikita Grebenkin has quickly endeared himself to Flyers fans and the coaching staff with his slick playmaking, underrated zone entry skills, and dominant presence around the opponent's net.

The 22-year-old former Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick has produced in a variety of roles up and down the lineup, at times featuring with Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, Noah Cates, and Bobby Brink.

Grebenkin can be a little over-zealous with his stickhandling and passing at times, but it's refreshing to see a young Flyers player try to make plays at every opportunity.

The 6-foot-2 winger also had two screens to help his teammates score goals in as many games to finish the preseason, which should help him establish a foothold on one of the power play units with time.

Flyers Working to Turn Nikita Grebenkin Into 'A Force'While it's still early, the Philadelphia Flyers may have found themselves a hidden gem in winger prospect Nikita Grebenkin, who continues to impress in the NHL preseason and training camp.

As Grebenkin continues to learn the game, adjust to the language barrier, and clean up some miscues, he could easily become a formidable top-six support winger for the Flyers.

Stock Up: Dan Vladar

As far as goaltending goes, I feel that Dan Vladar had a better season overall than Sam Ersson, at least as far as shot-stopping goes.

I was skeptical of the Flyers signing the 28-year-old to a two-year deal in the summer when they are clearly prioritizing the development of their prospects, which still, apparently, includes Aleksei Kolosov, but Vladar has looked legit.

The former Calgary Flame and Boston Bruin did have a miscue in Saturday's preseason win against the New Jersey Devils, mishandling the puck behind his net and allowing Arseny Gritsyuk to feed Paul Cotter for a slam-dunk score that gave the Devils a temporary 3-2 lead in the third period.

As for the other goals, though? Vladar had no chance on the Kevin Rooney deflection and was hung out to dry when Shane Lachance connected with Lenni Hameenaho on a back-door pass on the power play.

Right now, Ersson probably still starts for the Flyers on opening night, but Vladar is certainly going to push for 50% or more of the starts this season, health willing.

Stock Down: Owen Tippett

To say this is a big year for Owen Tippett would be an understatement, but equal onus should be placed upon the Flyers to put him in a position to succeed.

The 26-year-old played with Trevor Zegras, Matvei Michkov, and Travis Konecny, respectively, to finish the preseason, but those combinations don't work. Why?

Simply put, Tippett is at his best when he generates his own offense with his legs, but often settles for low-danger looks rather than getting in position for high-danger looks.

The Flyers are right for trying to get him more of those high-danger looks with players like Zegras and Michkov, but Tippett would be at his best driving the offense for Cates and Brink, for example.

He can still hit and check and has improved enough defensively to be utilized on the penalty kill, where he can also find some scoring opportunities by using his legs to latch onto breakaways.

Tippett is basically the Jaromir Jagr of Daniel Sprongs--he has considerable offensive talent, but there's a reason the top-six isn't calling for him.

Right now, the chemistry with those top-six players isn't there, and I like Tippett's game more when he plays with guys like Cates and Jett Luchanko.

Yes, the former No. 10 pick is just one year removed from a 28-goal, 53-point campaign, but that was before the days of Michkov and Porter Martone.

The Flyers' $49.6 million man will need to adapt to stay in Philadelphia long-term; his 10-team no-trade list will come into effect on July 1, 2026.

The Pittsburgh Penguins placed five players on waivers on Saturday in their attempt to finalize their 23-man roster ahead of Monday's deadline. 

Defensemen Alexander Alexeyev and Ryan Graves, plus forwards Sam Poulin, Boko Imama, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard were placed on waivers but didn't get claimed by another team. They've now been assigned to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, who are having their training camp and preseason right now.

The following players have been assigned to the @WBSPenguins (AHL):
 
- Alexander Alexeyev
- Ryan Graves
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard
- Boko Imama 
- Sam Poulin

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 5, 2025

The Penguins signed Alexeyev and Harvey-Pinard during free agency in July, and they could be call-up options from WBS if some injuries arise during the season. 

Imama made his Penguins' debut last season and scored one goal in 16 games. He's great in the locker room and can be a physical presence on the ice. 

Poulin has been with the organization since 2019 when the Penguins selected him in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Since then, he has only appeared in 13 NHL games, compiling no goals and two assists. 

Graves is in the third year of a six-year contract he signed during the 2023 offseason and hasn't been the player that the Penguins were hoping they were getting when they brought him in. He had a rough first season in 2023-24 and never improved last year or during training camp this year. 

The Penguins will open the 2025-26 regular season against the New York Rangers on Tuesday. 

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The Ottawa Senators' 2025 preseason schedule has come to a close, and as of this writing, they still haven't made a player cut that would qualify as surprising or, quite frankly, even that interesting. But that's about to change. The season starts on Thursday night in Tampa, and the Senators – like all NHL teams – have to have their 23-man roster filed by Monday at 5 pm.

"We've got some decisions to make," head coach Travis Green told the media after the 3-1 win in Montreal on Saturday night. "With Drake Batherson still being out of the lineup – we'll see if he can start the season – but in the next 24 hours, we'll make some hard decisions and see where we end up."

Right now, they have 31 players still in Camp. Here's the full list from the Sens website, with asterisks that we've placed beside names of players who aren't considered locks for the final 23-man roster..

Forwards

1. Michael Amadio
2. Drake Batherson (injury concern)
3. Nick Cousins
4. Dylan Cozens
5. Lars Eller
6. Claude Giroux
7. Ridly Greig
8. Stephen Halliday*
9. Hayden Hodgson*
10. Jan Jenik*
11. Arthur Kaliyev*
12. Olle Lycksell*
13. Kurtis MacDermid*
14. David Perron
15. Shane Pinto
16. Tim Stützle
17. Brady Tkachuk
18. Fabian Zetterlund

Defense

19. Thomas Chabot

20. Nick Jensen

21. Tyler Kleven (injury concern)

22. Nikolas Matinpalo*

23. Donovan Sebrango*

24. Jake Sanderson

25. Jordan Spence

26. Lassi Thomson*

27. Carter Yakemchuk*

28. Artem Zub

Goalies

29. Leevi Merilainen

30. Mads Sogaard*

31. Linus Ullmark

Last year, the Senators began the year with the full lineup of 23 players, opting for a ratio of 14 forwards, 7 defensemen and two goalies. Complicating decisions this time of the year are things like injuries and who's waiver exempt and who is not.

Among the bubble players, the most intriguing name by far is defenseman Carter Yakemchuk. He was excellent in last year's NHL preseason, leading the Sens with 7 points in 4 games. This year, he had 0 points in four games. His junior numbers also tumbled last season, and he seems like a young man still adjusting to being asked to toggle back his offence to be a better defender.

But it was his offence that caught the eyes of NHL scouts, and it's why the Sens drafted him seventh overall. They're likely asking themselves right now, 'Does Yakemchuk upgrade the right side of our defence enough (or at all) that he should forego some valuable development time in the AHL, where his inevitable mistakes won't be splashed all over TSN highlight reels?'

For all the talk about Jensen's injury over the offseason, he's going to be ready to start the season. Artem Zub is a lock as well, leaving Jordan Spence and Nikolas Matinpalo as the 6-7 options to round out the right side of the defense. So there's no obvious reason to rush Yakemchuk, and what's more, he simply might not be good enough yet to crack this lineup.

We expect him to be joined in Belleville by Lassi Thomson. On the left side, if Kleven isn't ready, Sebrango might get a stay of execution on reassignment. Either way, after appearing in all playoff games last spring, Matinpalo has the edge as the seventh man.

In goal, Sogaard is our odd man out to be reassigned to Belleville, but first, he would need to clear waivers. That will be intriguing to see if some goalie-poor organization takes a shot at a young 6-foot-7 goalie.

Up front, 12 forwards are locks, but some of the lower-rung players may be interchangeable. So, depending on Batherson's injury, we'll keep two or three more forwards beyond that. We're rolling with a group of MacDermid, Kaliyev and Lycksell, and when one eventually has to go down, we're choosing Lycksell. 

Hodgson's stock fell hard with MacDermid's addition on Friday. So Hodgson, along with Halliday and Jenik, will be reassigned to Belleville.

So that's our game plan. Let's see now what the Sens actually do over the next 24 hours.

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After their 5-4 preseason finale overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, the Buffalo Sabres reduced their roster to 28 players by returning four players to the AHL Rochester Americans, including 2025 first-rounder Radim Mrtka, blueliners Vsevolod Komarov and Zach Metsa, and injured center Noah Ostlund. On Sunday, the club placed forward Josh Dunne on waivers to get down to 27 players. If Dunne clears, he will be sent down to the Rochester Americans of the AHL.  

All NHL clubs must be down to 23 players and be cap compliant by Monday afternoon, which means that the Sabres have four moves to make, but based on the information available regarding some of their injuries, GM Kevyn Adams could get a slight reprieve by placing four players on injured reserve. 

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After suffering a lower-body injury last Wednesday against Pitsburgh, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will not be available for the season opener against the NY Rangers next Thursday, which means that Alexandar Georgiev will back up Alex Lyon until Luukkonen is cleared to play. 

Defenseman Michael Kesselring had been dealing with an injury throughout camp that flared up on Wednesday and head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that it was something more than a day-to-day injury. Mattias Samuelsson is out week-to-week, but Ruff said he's ahead of schedule and could return to practice before the opener on October 9. 

Injured reserve is a minimum of seven days, which would seem to be likely for Luukkonen, Greenway, and Kesselring. If Samuelsson is close to returning, then an IR stint is unlikely, and the Sabres would have to make one roster cut on Monday. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

After an offseason of uncertainty, a former Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman finally has a home for the 2025-26 season.

On Sunday, 30-year-old blueliner Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, which came after a paid tryout (PTO) in the pre-season. He did not register any points in three pre-season games for Chicago, but he did end the slate of games with an even plus-minus.

Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the third round (85th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Grzelcyk spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bruins before coming to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal prior to the 2024-25 season. He thrived in a power play role with the Penguins, which lent to him setting career-highs in points with 40 (1G-39A) and power play points with 15 (15A).

As a result, there was a reasonable expectation that - after a career year offensively - the 5-foot-10, 180-pound defenseman would find a home relatively quickly in free agency. However, that did not come to pass, as Grzelcyk ultimately ended up signing a PTO with Chicago on Sept. 16.

In 527 career NHL games, Grzelcyk has amassed 26 goals and 175 points to go along a plus-131 rating. 

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NHL rosters need to be finalized by Monday, which has created plenty of movement on the waiver wire.

On Saturday, 17 players were placed on waivers, headlined by Pittsburgh Penguins veteran defender Ryan Graves. One waiver claim was made, as the Carolina Hurricanes claimed goaltender Brandon Bussi from the Florida Panthers. For the players who weren't claimed, they'll head to the respective clubs' AHL affiliates.

PuckPedia reported the news.

17 NHL teams also placed a combined 35 players on waivers, according to PuckPedia. Here's that list.

• Boston: Jonathan Aspirot, Matej Blumel, Michael Dipietro, Alex Steeves
• Buffalo: Joshua Dunne
• Colorado: Jack Ahcan, Keaton Middleton
• Detroit: Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl
• Edmonton: Max Jones
• Florida: Jack Studnicka
• Montreal: Kaapo Kahkonen
• New Jersey: Calen Addison, Nico Daws
• Ottawa: Hayden Hodgson, Jan Jenik, Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, Mads Sogaard, Lassi Thomson
• Philadelphia: Carl Grundstrom
• Seattle: John Hayden
• San Jose: Pavol Regenda
• Toronto: Matt Benning, Dakota Mermis, Michael Pezzetta, Henry Thrun
• Utah: Curtis Douglas
• Vegas: Jonas Rondbjerg
• Washington: Ethen Frank, Clay Stevenson
• Winnipeg: Walker Duehr, Ville Heinola

The Ottawa Senators led the way today, placing a league-high six players on waivers. Highlighted by Arthur Kayliev, the Senators are sending several players who showed positive flashes in pre-season down to their AHL club.

The Detroit Red Wings are placing a pair of veteran defenseman on waivers. Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl were with the Red Wings last season, with Gustafsson playing 60 games last year and Holl playing 73. The demotions of Gustaffson and Holl indicate that Axel Sandin-Pellikka will make the open night roster.

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed three defensemen on waivers, including off-season trade acquisition Henry Thrun. The 24-year-old played 60 games in the NHL last year, but previously he split his time between the AHL and the NHL. Matt Benning and Dakota Mermis are a pair of veteran defenders, and Michael Pezzetta is a physical depth winger.

Ville Heinola, 24, is on waivers once again. The 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft was once a highly rated defensive prospect, but has been unable to crack the Winnipeg Jets lineup. His days in Winnipeg seem to be numbered. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Carl Grundstrom on waivers just hours after he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks. The Flyers sent the injured Ellis and a conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the Sharks for Grundstrom and defenseman Artem Guryev.

For each player, the 31 other NHL teams can submit a claim for them by 2 p.m. ET on Monday. Otherwise, their teams can assign them to the minors. And if any of the squads that did claim a player places them back on waivers, their initial team can still claim them.

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Only one hour after acquiring him in the Ryan Ellis trade with the San Jose Sharks, the Philadelphia Flyers have already placed new forward Carl Grundstrom on waivers.

Grundstrom, 27, is in the last year of a two-year, $3.6 million contract he signed with the Sharks on July 4, 2024, meaning the Flyers will not get full cap relief on his $1.8 million AAV if he is assigned to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

That's fairly inconsequential, though, as Grundstrom's remaining $650k cap hit would still be significantly better than the $6.25 million cap hit Ellis would have carried for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

According to PHLY's Charlie O'Connor, the Flyers have not yet decided whether Grundstrom will make their NHL roster, but placed the Swede on waivers to give themselves the option to assign him to the AHL if and when needed.

As a reminder, the Flyers must submit their opening night roster to the NHL by 5 p.m. on Monday, so time was of the essence with this particular transaction.

Flyers, Sharks Complete Multi-Player Deal Involving Veteran DefensemanThe Philadelphia Flyers have quietly turned the page on one of the most frustrating “what ifs” in recent franchise memory, trading defenseman Ryan Ellis and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Artem Guryev and forward Carl Grundstrom.

And, as for what Flyers fans can expect from Grundstrom if he does stick around, the 6-foot forward is a positionally versatile career fourth-liner who loves to play with a physical edge, but won't do too much else.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs second-round pick was teammates with former Flyers Sean Walker and Cal Petersen with the Los Angeles Kings, and he produced a respectable 12 goals, seven assists, and 19 points in 57 games with L.A. in 2022-23.

If the Flyers decide to keep Grundstrom, it probably also means that they weren't impressed with one or both of Rodrigo Abols and Jett Luchanko, both of whom are currently on the NHL roster as things stand.

But, until then, the other 31 NHL teams will have the opportunity to claim Grundstrom off waivers from the Flyers for free.

The pre-season schedule has officially wrapped up for the Detroit Red Wings, and only days separate them from the beginning of their centennial campaign in the NHL.

During the pre-season slate of games, the Red Wings played multiple first and second round draft selections who proved useful, among them  Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Emmitt Finnie, all of whom made considerable impacts. 

The Red Wings also returned multiple draft selections to the American Hockey League after it was decided by GM Steve Yzerman that they needed more experience with the Grand Rapids Griffins, including Sebastian Cossa, Carter Mazur, and William Wallinder.

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Head coach Todd McLellan tried multiple line combinations (with the exception of the Alex DeBrincat-Marco Kasper-Patrick Kane line, which remains intact) that saw players like Elmer Soderblom and even Finnie see time on the top forward unit with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

All NHL clubs must have their rosters submitted to the League by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, meaning that there are still a few names that won’t be hitting the ice on Thursday for the regular season opener.

“For our staff, we’ve discussed a lot of things,” McLellan said following Detroit’s 6-5 overtime win over the Maple Leafs in the pre-season finale on Saturday. “Steve and I and Shawn Horcoff and his group have worked really close together with what we’re thinking, why we like certain players and pairs or combinations of players. We’ll get a complete injury report tonight, have a day off tomorrow and then Monday’s a big day for us. We got to figure out where we start.”

Regardless of how the roster looks on Thursday, multiple young Red Wings players have shown that they can be impactful at the NHL level.

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The Montreal Canadiens made a series of roster cuts on Oct. 5.

The Canadiens announced that Owen Beck, Adam Engstrom, and Florian Xhekaj have all been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket. In addition, the Canadiens shared that they have placed forward Sammy Blais and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers.

Les Canadiens ont cédé les attaquants Owen Beck et Florian Xhekaj ainsi que le défenseur Adam Engstrom au Rocket de Laval. L'attaquant Samuel Blais et le gardien Kaapo Kahkonen seront soumis au ballottage à 14h00.

The Canadiens have loaned forwards Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj…

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 5, 2025

Beck played in 12 games last season for the Canadiens, where he recorded one assist. He also had 15 goals and 44 points in 64 games with Laval this past season.

Engstrom spent all of this past season with Laval, where he recorded five goals, 22 assists, 27 points, and a plus-14 rating in 66 games. He also had five assists in 13 playoff games with Laval.

Xhekaj recorded 24 goals, 35 points, and 175 penalty minutes in 69 games last season with Laval. He also had one goal, two assists, and 59 penalty minutes in 13 playoff games for the AHL club.

Blais signed with the Canadiens this off-season after spending the 2024-25 season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Canucks. In 51 games this past season with the AHL squad, he recorded 14 goals, 40 points, and a plus-8 rating.

Kahkonen also signed with the Canadiens during this summer. The 29-year-old played in one NHL game this past season with the Colorado Avalanche, where he stopped 16 out of 20 shots he faced.

The Carolina Hurricanes have made a pair of of waiver wire moves, placing goaltender Cayden Primeau on waiver for the purpose of reassignment to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, while also claiming goalie Brandon Bussi off of waivers from the Florida Panthers.

The Hurricanes acquired Primeau this summer from the Montreal Canadiens for a seventh-round pick. He appeared in two preseason games and posted a 0.900 save percentage.

Bussi, 27, has played four seasons in the AHL after a three-year career with Western Michigan in the NCAA.

In 111 AHL appearances, the New York native has a 0.915 save percentage with eight shutouts.

He appeared in one preseason game this year, posting a 0.895 save percentage.

One would have to think that Bussi's claim is merely to give the Canes some security should Primeau not make it through waivers.

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