The NHL season is upon us. 

In a week, the Nashville Predators will open up their 2025-26 campaign, taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets Oct. 9 at Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m. CST. 

Last season was statistically one of the worst in Predators franchise history as the team finished in seventh in the Central Division with a 30-44-8 record and 68 points.

The season followed a free agency period in which Nashville acquired notable names like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. 

With a new season on the horizon, Predators fans shared their expectations, thoughts, opinions and ideas for this year. 

Fans on r/predators on Reddit were given a survey to gather their thoughts on the last season, this coming season, and specific opinions they may have. Answers were logged anonymously, and not every question was required to be answered.

Here are the results of that survey. 

Who is your favorite current player? 

1. Filip Forsberg

2. Juuse Saros 

3. Roman Josi 

4. Ryan O’Reilly 

5. Fedor Svechkov

What was the biggest thing you took away from last season? 

Struggles with the defense and center depth seemed to be the biggest concern for Predator fans last season. 

We definitely need high-caliber centers if we want to really be competitive.

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Need a playmaking center and to shore up the backend.

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While center depth remains a concern for the Predators entering this season, they have addressed this issue by making a handful of acquisitions on the back end, trading for Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague and signing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix. 

One fan mentioned that goalie Juuse Saros could've had a better season if the defense in front of him had improved. 

Juuse Saros is an incredible goaltender, but he can't steal games without more stability in the D-Core. Nashville famously has incredible defense and historic goaltending, but never an explosive offense. Now, it seems we've even lost that defensive piece.

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Coaching was also cited as a concern from last season. In his second year, after reaching the playoffs in his first season as head coach, Andrew Brunette had a massive sophomore slump.

It's put him in a difficult position coming into this season as he has the highest odds to get fired first according to BetMGM. 

Need better coaching. I think the system prevented the players from achieving success and becoming a winning team.

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What is something you think the Predators can realistically achieve this season? 

Every hockey fan wants their team to win the Stanley Cup every season, but for the Predators, right now, that isn't the most realistic goal. 

Many Predators fans believe that a true, realistic goal for the team is to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The Central Division is deep, but fans think this team has a chance to squeak its way into the playoffs. 

I think there is a shot that the team competes for the last playoff spot in the conference/division. The new talent, a refreshed year brings that potential.

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Other fans were a little bit more skeptical, saying that playoffs are still out of reach. 

I would like to believe the playoffs are possible, but that’s a stretch that may be just beyond realism.

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Some fans want to see general improvement, that being a higher finish in the standings than last year, more consistent play and possibly an identity change focused on a rebuild. This will be a critical year in deciding if the Predators want to continue with their current model or start from scratch. 

I believe the Preds can realistically be a middle of the pack team this year. I'm not one of the Preds doomers wanting us to tank, I want to see effort and improvement.

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Settle in craft a new identity. The Preds have played gritty dump-and-chase hockey for as long as I've watched. That may be Brunette's system too, but our aging veterans can't play to that intensity for the entire season. We need to take a step back, analyze strengths, then adjust the system and settle in."

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Who will benefit the Predators the most this season? 

This is where the answers started becoming a little bit more open ended. 

Fans were asked back-to-back questions about individuals. Who was going to benefit the team this season, and who wasn't? 

Let's start with the positive. The bulk of the Predators fans who answered believe that there's a lot of potential in future prospects, and the team can start benefiting from that talent now.

"n general, our younger talent as a whole can have the biggest benefit. Going out there and hustling, forcing contact, and trying new things can really help the team open up scoring chances. Out of that group, [Zachary] L’Heureux has my eye for being a key driver of this.

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Youth movement. Need to see legit performance from [Luke] Evangelista, L'Heureux, [Joakim] Kemell. Would like to see [Spencer] Stastny bounce back but I think that's unlikely. Give [Brady] Martin his games because he looks comfortable enough to play them.

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Fedor Svechkov and Tanner Molendyk were two other names, alongside the ones mentioned, that fans believe could have a significant impact. 

As for the veterans, fans believe that Roman Josi and Saros can have "bounce back" seasons. Josi missed the final few games of last season due to a Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) diagnosis and spent the entirety of the offseason recovering. He has already returned for training camp. 

Saros just had a down year compared to the previous seasons. Signed to an extended contract, this is going to be a big year not just for him, but for the front office that signed him to the extension 

Josi is a make-or-break season. If he's in form, the team can win.

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If Saros is back to form, then his impact could change everything.

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Who will benefit the Predators the least this season? 

These answers centered around mainly two things: Barry Trotz and aging players. 

Trotz, the Predators' first-ever head coach, returned to the organization in 2023 as general manager. His tenure has been complicated, to say the least, as he tries to stick to the Predators' "Smashville" identity while building toward the future in a more offensively focused NHL. 

A handful of acquisitions, or lack thereof, this offseason have left fans uneasy heading into this season. 

GM Barry Trotz. He’s a coach who has no business being a GM. He’s been taken advantage of in trades and has handed out some really awful contracts that have hamstrung the team financially.

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Barry Trotz. Continues to sign and play players that seem not to fit the coaches’ preferred schemes.

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The other concern comes around older players in core roles. Specifically, Brady Skjei, who is 31 years old, is entering the second year of a seven-year contract. Since joining the Predators in the 2024 offseason, his production has gradually declined. 

Skjei. I would love to see him have a breakout season, but he can be a weak aspect that really hinders the team's ability to stay consistent across every shift.

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Honestly, I'm kind of worried about Skjei. He gets a lot of flak, and I tend to cut him more slack than that, but now we have so many defensemen, it feels like he and his huge contract are just in the way, and I still am not convinced he will turn it around yet. Would rather have a younger guy in his spot.

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Older talent in general is becoming an issue for fans, and there is a growing need to get the next generation of Predators players to Nashville. 

We can't double down on getting more 30+ year old forwards that won't help the team now nor be part of the core in the long term.

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Fans' prediction for Predators' 2025-26 season

The majority of fans who took the survey believe that the Nashville Predators will not make the playoffs, with the "no" vote making up 55.3% of the poll. 

When it comes to placement in the standings, fans averaged that the Predators would finish 23rd in the NHL and sixth in the Central Division.

Compared to the 2024-25 standings, that would be a seven-spot improvement in the league standings and a one-spot improvement in the divisional standings, but still 14 points outside of a Wild Card spot. 

Final thoughts

Trotz is getting a lot of hate, some of it is deserved, but I am on his team for now. I love his draft picks and think we need to give him another 3 years or so before we start to judge him, not only for his past decisions but to give him time to grow in a position he hasn't done before. Few people can step into a new role like that and immediately be successful, or even "average", at it.

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Future outlook isn't as bad as some outlets say, but this team is still missing top-line talent on forward and defense. Lots of good prospects in the system with Martin, Surin, Molendyk, Svechkov, Wood, Lee, etc.

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Getting fans a 3rd jersey (it's been 14 years).

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It feels like the Preds are wanting their cake and to eat it too. The team feels devoid of identity and direction.

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We need a direction other than just playoff edge, even if it’s a full rebuild, and we need to draft and develop way better.

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Go Preds!

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Puckpedia announced on Thursday that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Daemon Hunt was placed on waivers for purpose of American Hockey League (AHL) assignment.

Hunt, 23, was drafted by the Wild with the 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He spent parts of five seasons in the Wild's organization before he was traded to the Blue Jackets.

The 6-foot-1 defenseman played 13 NHL games with the Wild the last two seasons. He was traded with a first round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, third and fourth round picks in 2026 and a second round pick in 2027 for David Jiricek and a fifth round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Hunt played 48 games for the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL last year after the trade. He recorded two goals and 14 points.

Defenseman Daemon Hunt Placed On WaiversDefenseman Daemon Hunt has been placed on waivers per PuckPedia.com.

The Wild are in need of a left-shot defenseman and are familiar with Hunt. It would not shock me if Hunt is claimed, but also by the Wild. 

Jack Johnson is on a PTO right now and hasn't been signed yet. Zach Bogosian is a right-shot defenseman and played on the left-side last game and will again on Friday.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

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The NHL had several players hit the waiver wire on Oct. 2. One of them was former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Riley Stillman, as the Edmonton Oilers placed him on waivers.

Stillman joined the Oilers this off-season by signing a two-year, two-way contract with them in free agency. The expectation is that he will be a depth defenseman/call-up option for the Oilers' organization. However, before he can be sent down to the Oilers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, he must clear waivers.

Stillman played in five games this past season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he recorded zero points, one block, seven penalty minutes, eight hits, and a minus-1 rating. However, he primarily spent this past season in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves. In 35 games with the Wolves in 2024-25, he posted three goals, six assists, nine points, 58 penalty minutes, and a minus-9 rating.

Stillman was traded by the Florida Panthers to the Blackhawks during the 2020-21 season. From there, he played two seasons with the Blackhawks from 2020-21 to 2021-22. In 65 games as a member of the Blackhawks over that span, he recorded three goals, 10 assists, 13 points, 88 blocks, 159 hits, and a minus-5 rating.

The NHL had several players hit waivers on Oct. 2, and one of them was a former New York Rangers forward. This is because the Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Vitali Kravtsov on waivers.

Kravtsov returned to the Canucks on a one-year, two-way contract this summer. This was after the 6-foot-2 winger spent each of the last two seasons in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk. After recording 18 goals and 34 points in 55 games with the KHL squad in 2023-24, Kravtsov posted 27 goals, 31 assists, and 58 points in 66 games with them in 2024-25. Thus, he undoubtedly is coming off a strong year overseas.

Kravtsov was selected by the Rangers with the ninth-overall pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He was once considered one of the Rangers' top prospects after this, but he never blossomed into the top-six winger they hoped he would after they drafted him. In 48 games over two seasons with the Rangers, he recorded five goals, five assists, 10 points, 14 blocks, 18 hits, and an even plus/minus rating.

Given the year Kravtsov just had in the KHL, it is fair to wonder if another NHL team could consider claiming the former first-round pick off waivers. It will be interesting to see what happens on that front from here.

Flyers get look at potential season-opening lineup in preseason loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

With a full NHL lineup, the Flyers suffered a 4-3 preseason loss Thursday night to the Islanders at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Rick Tocchet’s club scored goals on the power play, penalty kill and at even strength. Travis Sanheim, Travis Konecny and Noah Cates provided the markers.

The Flyers dropped to 2-4-0 through the exhibition slate and have one more to go before the real thing starts in a week.

“I think we’re continuing to build each and every game,” Nick Seeler said of the team picking up Tocchet’s system. “Our meetings have been really good in the room, I think each game we’re doing a little bit more than the last. It’s an ongoing process and that’s what preseason is for, is continuing to build and I think we’re getting better and better.”

• This one sure looked like a dress rehearsal for opening night.

“I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent in stone, but the majority of it, I would say yes,” Tocchet said Thursday morning. “Most teams at this point, the last couple of games, you start to try to chunk things together.”

Rodrigo Abols and Jett Luchanko were the extras up front, while Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen were the extras on defense. More on the Flyers’ final decisions here.

• Christian Dvorak looks like somebody who could play a lot of roles for the Flyers.

“So far in preseason, I’ve played winger and center, so I think it’s a high probability I’ll do that during the season, too,” Dvorak said. “I’m pretty comfortable doing both, I take pride in doing that and playing a two-way game.”

The free-agent addition delivered a nifty drop pass through his legs to Sanheim for the Flyers’ game-opening shorthanded goal in the first period.

“I think he’s a really good player,” Sanheim said. “He’s a guy that can play at both ends of the ice, wins draws and is pretty creative and can make plays. I think he’s going to fit in well.”

Dvorak had another shorthanded breakaway in the second period, but Ilya Sorokin denied him with a nice save.

The 29-year-old centered the fourth line Thursday night, but there’s clearly some versatility there.

“The guy that I’ve got to get more ice time — because the fourth line usually doesn’t play as much — is Dvorak,” Tocchet said Thursday morning. “I might move him around, I might put him on the wing sometimes with certain people. I’ve got to find him more minutes, I don’t think he’s a fourth-line center.”

• Samuel Ersson played the full game in net, stopping 23 of 27 shots.

The Flyers were slow to get back on New York’s game-winning goal with 2:54 minutes left in the third period.

“I think we’ve got to quit giving up some of those easy ones, that’s something that we’ve got to clean up for the regular season,” Sanheim said. “But I think some of the system stuff we’re definitely picking up, guys are getting a little bit more used to what’s expected. But in saying that, there are still turnovers and little things that we need to clean up that isn’t going to cut it in the regular season.”

Fifteen seconds after Konecny gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the second period, Anders Lee drew the Islanders even. Ersson reacted as if he would have liked that one back.

But New York’s other two goals were awfully tough to stop. One was an impressive power play redirection and the other was a 2-on-0 shorthanded breakaway.

“It’s a new system, you’ve got to go through these things,” Tocchet said. “But the Grade As, the 2-on-1s, the breakaway on the power play — they’re just freebies. You might give up about three freebies a month; you can’t give them two or three a game. It just can’t happen, you can’t give free goals in this league.”

Ersson finished exhibition play with 53 saves on 63 shots through seven periods. Dan Vladar is set to play the full game in the finale.

• Tocchet said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told him that Nikita Grebenkin was a sticky player.

And you can see why that was the scouting report. The 22-year-old winger hunts the puck and competes hard for it. He’s getting a great look with Konecny and Sean Couturier.

Grebenkin played seven games for Toronto last season before coming to the Flyers in the Scott Laughton trade.

• There was some good and bad from the Flyers’ power play.

In the second period, a real sloppy attempt at a zone-entry by the first unit led to a go-ahead shorthanded goal for the Islanders.

But the Flyers’ second unit got the goal back when Cates was set up by Tyson Foerster.

• Karsen Dorwart and Lane Pederson were both cleared to return from their upper-body injuries and loaned to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley after practicing Thursday morning.

Excluding two injured players in camp (Oliver Bonk and Ethan Samson), the Flyers’ roster is at 24 players. It needs to be down to a maximum of 23 by Monday at 5 p.m. ET.

• The Flyers wrap up the preseason Saturday when they host the Devils (12:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

According to PuckPedia, former Philadelphia Flyers forward Tanner Laczynski has been placed on waivers by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Laczynski is entering his second season with the Golden Knights organization after signing with them during the 2024 NHL off-season. The Minooka, Illinois native played in eight games last season for the Golden Knights, where he recorded one goal, three blocks, three hits, six penalty minutes, and a minus-1 rating.

However, Laczynski spent most of the 2024-25 season with the Golden Knights' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. In 41 games with the Silver Knights this past campaign, the 6-foot-1 forward recorded 15 goals, 22 assists, and 37 points. With numbers like these, he proved to be a key part of the Silver Knight's roster last season. 

Laczynski started off his professional career with the Flyers organization, as he was selected by the Metropolitan Division club with the 169th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. In 38 games with the Flyers over three seasons, he recorded two goals, two assists, four points, 12 blocks, 13 takeaways, 38 hits, and a minus-5 rating. This included playing in a career-high 32 games with the Flyers during the 2022-23 campaign, which was his final season in Philly. 

The Buffalo Sabres 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday was merely a distraction to the big story to emerge from the club’s final preseason game. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who started his first exhibition game, left the contest for precautionary reasons after feeling some lower-body discomfort.

"UPL felt good getting into the game, and then after he made a couple saves, just didn't feel quite right," Ruff said after the game.  "We took him (as a) precaution....(we)didn't want to really risk anything.....We don't to take a chance."

The 26-year-old has been dealing with pain since tweaking something in ramping up for training camp in late August / early September. Concerns over the lower-body injury forced Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to sign veteran Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year deal just before the start of camp.

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 Adams said last month that Luukkonen went through tests and that it came out clear, but after rehabbing and a week of practice leading into the start against Pittsburgh, the discomfort came back after facing 12 Penguins shots in the opening 20 minutes. On Thursday, Ruff indicated that Luukkonen was undergoing further testing, that is possible that the injury is different than the one that made him miss the start of camp, but that it is possible that he could miss the season opener against the NY Rangers one week from today.

Defenseman Michael Kesselring, who was playing elevated in the in the lineup due to injuries to Bowen Byram and Owen Power, left the game in the second period. Ruff stated that the blueliner has been dealing with an injury since the start of camp and that he is also undergoing further testing.   

Follow Michael on X, Instagram  @MikeInBuffalo

Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Niko Mikkola has signed an eight-year, $5 million AAV contract extension with the Florida Panthers.

Mikkola has been a key cog in the Panthers' blueline in their back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs and was rewarded with a massive extension. The 2024-25 season witnessed the 29-year-old set career highs in goals and points with six goals and 22 points in 76 games.

“Niko has proven himself to be a dependable defenseman who uses his speed and physicality to impact both ends of the ice,” said Panthers GM Bill Zito. “He was an indispensable piece of our past two championship campaigns, and we are thrilled that Niko will be continuing his career with the Florida Panthers.”

The 6-foot-6 defender was a fifth-round pick (127th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Blues. His team with St. Louis wasn't great, recording four goals and 20 points in 139 games. Mikkola tended to have defensive mishaps and took far too many ill-advised penalties. 

With the Panthers, that's all changed. He's defensively reliable, a more than capable puck mover and has cut down on the needless penalties while maintaining a physical nature. 

Mikkola and Seth Jones built solid chemistry in their short time together, and they'll be a key pairing for the Panthers for years to come.

Panthers Agree To Eight-Year Contract Extension With Niko MikkolaThe Florida Panthers have handed Niko Mikkola an eight-year, $5 million average annual value contract extension.

With each passing day, the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster is coming more and more into focus. 

And on Thursday, it got a little bit closer to the finish line.

Following practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa., the Penguins announced a series of roster moves. Forward Bryan Rust and defenseman Jack St. Ivany were both placed on injured reserve, there were five players cut from the training camp roster, and six players were sent to the waiver wire.

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The five players re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's (WBS) AHL training camp are:

- D Scooter Brickey
- F Mathieu De St. Phalle
- G Taylor Gauthier
- F Aidan McDonough
- D Chase Pietila

Penguins' Pre-Season: Prospects Lead Way As Penguins Defeat Sabres, 5-3The Pittsburgh Penguins continued their winning ways in the pre-season on Wednesday when they visited the Buffalo Sabres.

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The six players sent to the NHL's waiver wire are:

- D Sebastian Aho
- F Danton Heinen
- D Philip Kemp
- F Joona Koppanen
- G Filip Larsson
- F Valtteri Puustinen

Penguins' Defenseman Out Six Weeks, Adds To Growing Injury ListThe bad news keeps piling up for the Pittsburgh Penguins on the injury front. 

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The biggest surprise among the group is veteran forward Danton Heinen, who was re-acquired by the Penguins as part of the deal that sent defenseman Marcus Pettersson to the Vancouver Canuncks in January. The journeyman forward is on his second stint with the Penguins' organization, and in those two stints combined, he has registered 29 goals and 66 points in 169 games. 

Also among the waiver group is Larsson, who was in competition with Tristan Jarry, Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov, and Joel Blomqvist - up until Blomqvist's lower-body injury - for one of the two NHL goaltending posts. Larsson had an impressive start to his AHL season last year with WBS, but a late injury and inconsistency following that injury put him in a tough spot with Murashov and Blomqvist.

Larsson, 27, went 12-9-3 with a 2.84 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage in 26 AHL games last season.

Penguins Forward Bryan Rust Out Week-To-WeekThe Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their best players to start the 2025-26 season.

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With camp numbers dwindling, the Penguins' roster is now down to 39 players. They are:

Forwards (22)
- Noel Acciari
- Justin Brazeau
- Tristan Broz
- Sidney Crosby
- Connor Dewar
- Robby Fabbri
- Filip Hallander
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard
- Avery Hayes
- Danton Heinen*
- Boko Imama
- Ben Kindel
- Ville Koivunen
- Joona Koppanen*
- Blake Lizotte
- Evgeni Malkin
- Anthony Mantha
- Tommy Novak
- Sam Poulin
- Valtteri Puustinen*
- Rickard Rakell
- Philip Tomasino

Penguins' Pre-Season: Final 23-Man Roster Prediction EditionA few days ago, we had our Mailbox Monday, and I gave my final predictions for the Pittsburgh Penguins' final 2025-26 roster.

Defensemen (13)
- Sebastian Aho*
- Alexander Alexeyev
- Harrison Brunicke
- Connor Clifton
- Matt Dumba
- Ryan Graves
- Caleb Jones
- Erik Karlsson
- Phil Kemp*
- Kris Letang
- Owen Pickering
- Ryan Shea
- Parker Wotherspoon

Goaltenders (4)
- Tristan Jarry
- Filip Larsson*
- Sergei Murashov
- Arturs Silovs

Injured Reserve (8)
- G Joel Blomqvist
- F Kevin Hayes
- F Tanner Howe
- D Jack St. Ivany
- D Peyton Kettles
- F Rutger McGroarty
- F Bryan Rust
- F Bill Zonnon

Should Ben Kindel Get The Nine-Game Trial? The Case For And AgainstThere are a lot of stories coming out of Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp this year. Many of them involve young players making an impression and pushing for the NHL roster.

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The Penguins will play one final pre-season game when the Buffalo Sabres come to town on Friday before making final roster decisions.

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

After a much-deserved day off in which they went golfing in the Quebec City suburbs, the Montreal Canadiens were back on the Centre Videotron ice for a practice open to the public on Thursday morning.

Habs fans everywhere let out a collective sigh of relief when Ivan Demidov jumped on the ice, confirming that there was no lasting damage from Ottawa Senators’ forward Nick Cousins’ slash. Martin St-Louis was probably wise enough to pull him out of the game to prevent any other attempts on the youngster once his most gritty players were out of the game.

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Clearly, the bench boss liked what he saw in Quebec, as those were the lines deployed at practice:

Cole Caufield-Nick Suzuki-Juraj Slafkovsky

Zack Bolduc-Kirby Dach-Brendan Gallagher

Alex-Newhook- Oliver Kapanen-Ivan Demidov

Joe Veleno-Owen Beck-Patrik Laine

Samuel Blais- Jack Evans (Florian Xhekaj)- Josh Anderson

The last line was the one wearing a dark blue jersey, perhaps indicating that they won’t be in the lineup on Saturday night. Should that be the case, it would mean that Blais didn’t get to play either of the last two preseason games. That may mean the organization already knows what he can bring to the table and which role he should have on the team.

On the blueline, St-Louis reverted to the pairing that started camp; it seems he doesn’t feel like change is needed there:

Mike Matheson-Noah Dobson

Kaiden Guhle-Lane Hutson

Arber Xhekaj-Alex Carrier

Jayden Struble-Adam Engstrom

In all likelihood, this means that the Guhle and Dobson’s tweaked groins are now fine, and the coach is looking to give them another game to click with their partner. Yet another indication that even though Jayden had an audition alongside Carrier on Tuesday night, A. Xhekaj still leads in the fight for the sixth defenseman spot.

For those worrying about the fact that the Senators recalled eight AHL players from the Belleville Senators’ camp, do not worry, Ottawa is dressing them tonight for a game against the Saint-Louis Blues. Just like the Canadiens, the Senators will be playing their last preseason game on Saturday night and will be looking to get in these previous few reps for their regular players, at least that’s the hope.

Both Cousins and Hayden Hodgson were fined following the events that occurred in the last game between the two teams. Given the fact that Cousins’ slash came after the Xhekaj brothers were ejected from the game, chances are that if the Sens’ player is in the lineup, he could have to face the consequence of his actions.

The Canadiens will stay in Quebec until Friday afternoon and hold another public practice at the Centre Videotron on Friday morning before returning to Montreal. Then, on Saturday, they’ll be having their morning skate at the Bell Center for the first time since the start of the camp.

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Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Calgary Flames today announced that head coach Ryan Huska has signed a two-year contract extension, solidifying his role behind the bench through the 2026–27 NHL season.

Huska, who became the 24th head coach in franchise history in June 2023, has guided the Flames to a 79-66-19 record over his first two campaigns. Most recently, he led Calgary to within a single point of a playoff berth in 2024–25, marking steady progress for the club under his leadership.

“We’re thrilled to extend Ryan for two more years,” said Flames GM Craig Conroy.

Huska’s connection to the Flames organization spans more than a decade. He first joined in 2014–15 as head coach of Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Adirondack before guiding top prospects in Stockton, where he compiled a 135-118-27 record across four seasons.

Promoted to the Flames’ NHL coaching staff in 2018, Huska served as an assistant coach for five years before earning the head coaching role in Calgary.

The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed goaltender Pheonix Copley off NHL waivers on Thursday, the team announced.

Copley joins the Lightning as depth while starter Andrei Vasilevskiy practises while recovering from an injury. Copley could potentially challenge backup Jonas Johansson for backup duties.

The 33-year-old Copley spent the last three seasons with the Los Angeles Kings organization. In 2022-23, he played a career-high 37 games, putting up a 24-6-3 record, 2.64 goals-against average and .903 save percentage.

Despite that, Copley only played eight games in 2023-24 due to an ACL injury and then spent most of last season in the AHL, going 24-17-1 with a 2.49 GAA and .904 SP in 42 games for the Ontario Reign.

The rest of the players on Wednesday's NHL waiver wire cleared and are eligible to go to the minors. Christian Jaros, meanwhile, cleared unconditional waivers, and his contract can be terminated.

Eight teams placed 22 players on waivers on Thursday, according to PuckPedia. Here they are:

• Columbus: Daemon Hunt
• Calgary: Rory Kerins, Ivan Prosvetov, Ilya Solovyov
• Edmonton: Cam Dineen, Riley Stillman
• Pittsburgh: Sebastian Aho (defenseman), Danton Heinen, Philip Kemp, Joona Koppanen, Filip Larsson, Valtteri Puustinen
• Seattle: Ben Meyers, Mitchell Stephens
• Utah: Ben McCartney, Scott Perunovich
• Vancouver: Vitali Kravtsov
• Vegas: Dylan Coghlan, Tanner Laczynski, Raphael Lavoie, Jaycob Megna, Cole Schwindt

Hunt, a 23-year-old defenseman, joined the Blue Jackets in a trade that sent prospect David Jiricek the other way in November 2024. He had an assist in four pre-season games.

Prosvetov, 26, signed with Calgary in July after recording a 2.32 GAA, .920 SP and four shutouts with CSKA Moscow last season. The goaltender went 1-2-0 with a .875 SP and 3.96 GAA in parts of three pre-season games. This means Devin Cooley has earned backup duties behind Dustin Wolf for now. Cooley has gone 0-2-0 with a 4.08 GAA and .846 SP in parts of three games.

Stillman, a 27-year-old D-man, signed with the Oilers in July, and he has 163 games of NHL experience. He scored once in one pre-season game.

Heinen, 30, played 79 games last season between the Canucks and Penguins, scoring 29 points. The veteran left winger has 96 goals, 145 assists and 241 points in 566 career games. Heinen was held without a point in four pre-season contests, taking three shots on goal.

Kravtsov, 25, rejoined the Canucks after spending two seasons with KHL Chelyabinsk, recording 58 points in 66 games last year. He didn't record a point in two pre-season games.

Lavoie, 25, was the talk of last October's waiver wire. The Golden Knights claimed the 2019 second-rounder off waivers from the Oilers on Oct. 7, 2024. Edmonton reclaimed the center on Oct. 9, and then Vegas got him again on Oct. 11. After all that, he played nine NHL games, and in 16 career contests, he has yet to record his first career point.

For each player, the rest of the NHL's clubs can submit a claim before 2 p.m. ET on Friday.

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On Thursday, at 10:27 a.m., Luke Hughes smoothly skated onto the ice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, marking his first day on the ice at New Jersey Devils training camp. 

Skating as an extra along with Kurtis MacDermid and Stefan Noesen (lower body), during the team's morning skate, Hughes worked through each drill, with a determined expression. 

He chose to particpate in both the club's 10:30 a.m. skate and 11:45 practice that ran for approximately 45 mintues. 

"It feels great (to be back)," Hughes shared. "Obviously, I was waiting a little bit, but really excited to be back and happy that I am in New Jersey for the next seven years."

Stick taps for #NJDevils Luke Hughes as he takes center circle. pic.twitter.com/uoubIPacD6

— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) October 2, 2025

On Oct. 1, the 22-year-old restricted free agent signed a seven-year, $63 million extension to remain in New Jersey through 2032.

"There was never a doubt during the negotiations that Luke wanted to remain a Devil," his agent Pat Brisson told The Hockey News. "We looked at his comps and what he has accomplished thus far. Where the cap is going, we felt over seven years, it was a very fair deal for both sides." 

"I know he loves living here, loves playing here," Jack Hughes said on Thursday. "I think it was a mutual fit. He's really excited to be a part of this group for a long time. He is excited with the deal he got, and he is most excited about being a part of the group and getting ready for the season."

The younger Hughes brother said the past few days have been a whirlwind as he spent time in both New Jesey and at home in Michigan. 

"I got here yesterday," he expained. "I was in and out though. I had the NJ charity gala on Monday night. They do great work, and it is really easy to work with them. I was here for that, and then flew out and skated on Tuesday morning with my dad, and then got (the contract) done Tuesday late night. I skated again with my dad in the morning, and then flew out. Kind of whirlwind but really excited to be here, and fired up for the season."

'There Was Never A Doubt That Luke Wanted To Remain A Devil': Hughes Commits To New Jersey On Wednesday morning, the New Jersey Devils announced that restricted free agent Luke Hughes has signed a seven-year contract worth $63,000,000 ($9,000,000 AAV) to remain with the organization long-term. 

Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Hughes will not appear in Thursday night's preseason game against the New York Rangers. The Devils will practice Friday and play their final preseason game on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

"It is a bit of a unique situation where not only has he missed camp, but he's also coming off of a major shoulder surgery since he played last," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We want to make sure we give him the appropriate time to be feeling good, but he looks good. He has been through all the medicals and testing, all the things that guys would normally go through at the beginning of camp, and he is cleared."

On May 5, the Devils announced the defenseman underwent successful shoulder surgery, which Dr. Peter Millett performed at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. He was expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of camp. 

When asked if the blueliner will be ready for the start of the regular season on Oct. 9, Keefe simply said, "I don't see a reason why he wouldn't." 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

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The Anaheim Ducks signed Jackson LaCombe to an eight-year contract extension on Thursday.

While the Ducks didn't reveal the average annual salary, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it's $9 million, which would make the total value a franchise-high $72 million.

LaCombe, a left-shot, two-way defenseman, will have a cap hit that's $2 million higher than center Mason McTavish, who ended a contract standoff last weekend by signing a six-year deal worth $7 million annually.

"We are excited to sign Jackson to a long-term contract and lock up a core player for our future," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release. "Getting this deal done early was a priority for us. Jackson has all of the tools to be an anchor on our back end for many years to come."

The 24-year-old LaCombe put up 14 goals and 29 assists for 43 points in 75 games last season, a 26-point increase from his rookie season. He also averaged 22:18 in ice time, the most on the Ducks in 2024-25 and even more than the 21:04 that Cam Fowler played in 17 games before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.

In fact, since the Ducks traded Fowler on Dec. 14, 2024, LaCombe played the fourth-most minutes in the NHL, trailing only the Columbus Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski, Montreal Canadiens' Mike Matheson and Detroit Red Wings' Moritz Seider.

"Today is an exciting day for my family, and I am grateful to the organization for their belief in me," LaCombe said. "It was an easy decision for me to commit my future to the Ducks and Orange County. We are building something special here, and I am excited to do everything I can to help this team win."

LaCombe ranked third on the Ducks in blocked shots, with 129. And on a team that finished sixth in the Pacific Division, he led regular Anaheim defenders at 5-on-5 in expected goals percentage (49.75 percent), scoring chances percentage (48.57 percent) and shot attempt percentage (49.29 percent), according to naturalstattrick.com. He was also the only Ducks defender to be on the ice for more shots-for than against at 5-on-5.

As Friedman noted, Ryan Getzlaf, Paul Kariya and Corey Perry had higher average annual values, but their contracts weren't as long, which means LaCombe set a franchise record for richest contract in terms of total value.

With LaCombe under contract for the long run, the Ducks have four pending RFAs left: Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger.

Earlier on Thursday, the Florida Panthers signed defensive defenseman Niko Mikkola to an eight-year contract as well, with a $5-million cap hit.

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