On Thursday, the CHL announced that the Québec Remparts have been selected to host the 2028 Memorial Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be played at the Vidéotron Centre, which has a capacity of 18,200. The Remparts are one of the most successful QMJHL teams when it comes to Memorial Cup championships, as they picked up victories in 1971, 2006 and 2023.
While the tournament is a year and a half away, it is very possible that a former Vancouver Canucks prospect will play a key role for Québec. That former prospect is Pierre-Cédric Labrie, who is currently an assistant coach with the Remparts. During his playing career, Labrie was a physical winger who signed an ELC with the Canucks on July 9, 2007.
Vancouver signed Labrie after an impressive career in the QMJHL. The undrafted forward recorded 63 points and 113 penalty minutes in 69 regular-season games. Labrie also skated in 15 playoff games, where he recorded 18 points and 41 penalty minutes.
Labrie spent two and a half seasons with the organization before being traded in 2010 to the St. Louis Blues for center Yan Stastny. He would play 175 regular-season games with the Manitoba Moose, where he recorded 39 points and 256 penalty minutes. Labrie recorded 1,200 penalty minutes over his 708-game AHL career and even got a chance at the NHL level, where he played 46 games over three seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
January 24, 2012; Tampa FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Pierre-Cedric Labrie (76) during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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A Florida Panthers player making his NHL debut is also going to make some league history.
On Thursday, goaltender Cooper Black is set to see his first NHL action when the Panthers visit the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Florida signed the undrafted netminder in April of 2024 after a standout collegiate career with Dartmouth College.
During his two-plus years with the franchise, Black has done well to move up Florida’s goaltending depth chart, placing himself as the team’s apparent third NHL goaltender heading into the current 2026-27 season.
That’s why he’s already been recalled by the Panthers from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers twice this season due to injuries to Jacob Markstrom.
He’s also a giant.
The 25-year-old Black measures in an eye-popping 6-foot-8, which will put him in some very rare air (no pun intended) once he officially makes his NHL debut tonight.
That’s because he will officially become the tallest goaltender to ever hit the ice for an NHL game.
Currently, the height record for an NHL netminder is 6-foot-7, and it’s held by five different players.
They are Ben Bishop, who played with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings, Mikko Koskinen, who played with the Edmonton Oilers, Mads Sogaard, who played with Ottawa, Ivan Fedotov, who played with the Philadelphia Flyers, and Dennis Hildeby, who played with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Congrats to Black on his historic night, it will be one that he’ll likely never forget.
The pressure for the Buffalo Sabres to make a move for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck likely increased after a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has publicly said that the club will only make a deal that they believe will improve the club, but starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen lost his third of the last four starts against the once-struggling Flyers, who registered their third straight victory.
Luukkonen indicated to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that he spoke to the Sabres GM prior to Wednesday’s loss and said that he had trust and confidence in the club’s goaltending, and to just concentrate on performing well, but that has not silenced the speculation that Buffalo is looking to upgrade between the pipes.
Kekalainen said in a radio interview on WGR 550 on Tuesday that he is always looking at deals that could make his club better, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed on Thursday’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Sabres and the Utah Mammoth could be waiting for the asking price for the 33-year-old to come down.
“I think (Buffalo and Utah) are kind of hoping that Winnipeg feels a bit squeezed,” Friedman said. “I’m not sure that’s actually going to work, but that’s the way I think those teams feel.”
The Carolina Hurricanes reportedly are also interested in Hellebuyck and have an offer that does not include RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who would likely not sign a contract with the Jets. Unlike the Dylan Larkin situation with Detroit, where it was revealed this week that he has expanded his trade list to 10 teams, there has not been a specific number of clubs indicated by the Jets or Ray Petkau (Hellebuyck’s agent) how many teams he is willing to go to.
The Sharks finally won in regulation, and they needed their goalie to do it.
San Jose beat the Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre, earning its first regulation win of the season in the team’s 11th game. Each of the Sharks’ first five victories had come in overtime or a shootout.
Yaroslav Askarov stopped 41 of 43 shots, a career high, topping the 39 he made in a December 2024 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Initially, he was credited with 40 saves but after the game the NHL amended his total to 41.
Askarov said his game has been trending up even when the results were not there.
“Feels like every game I feel better and better, the last few games, even like the games before when I couldn’t find a way to win, but I also felt good,” Askarov told reporters. “Just like need to keep it going, it’s a long season.”
He described his highlight save as a read that went wrong. Askarov said he was a little late on the first pass, and Tim Stützle’s fake left him with only one option.
“I was a little bit late, that’s why I had no more options, only like diving to the right side,” Askarov said.
The Senators, who entered 7-3-0, pushed hard. Stützle gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead early in the first period, and Nolan Allan tied it for San Jose. Ottawa then fired the last 12 shots of the second period, and Askarov stopped every one.
The Sharks broke the game open with three goals in 4:05 midway through the second period. Tyler Toffoli scored on the power play, and Collin Graf made it 3-1 shorthanded, redirecting a Ty Dellandrea pass on the penalty kill.
Jacob Trouba scored 78 seconds later, set up by Graf and Darnell Nurse, who received the puck as he was leaving the penalty box. Graf and Trouba each finished with a goal and an assist, and Graf’s was his fourth career shorthanded goal.
After a day off on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens returned to work Thursday morning at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard. Owen Beck, sent down to the Laval Rocket after the loss to the San Jose Sharks, was called back up; the team also announced that captain Nick Suzuki will miss 2 to 4 weeks with an upper-body injury. The centerman had not missed a single game since he entered the NHL, meaning his iron man streak will end at 546 games.
Suzuki blocked a Michael Kesselring shot late in the third frame against the Sharks. It’s hard to imagine the Canadiens without Suzuki; we haven't seen the Habs without him since 2019-2020, and he plays a key role at even strength, on the power play, and at times when down a man. That leaves Martin St-Louis with a real puzzle.
Who will skate with Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield? The Canadiens have other centre options: Phillip Danault, Alex Newhook, Jake Evans, Oliver Kapanen. None of them are bona fide first-line centers. Danault was the Habs’ first-line pivot when Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar completed the top unit, but that was six years ago. As good as Danault is, he's gotten older and isn’t what he was then. Furthermore, he pivots the new French Connection with Alexandre Texier and Zachary Bolduc; can St-Louis afford to break them up?
Kapanen, who’s been skating on the wing since returning, should go back to center, but where? On which line? If Ivan Demidov were back, you’d likely try to rekindle that chemistry, but he’s not yet and he’s not even traveling with the team as confirmed by the team’s PR. This isn’t surprising since he’s still wearing a walking boot.
Should Alex Newhook get a look as a first-line center? Perhaps leaving Kapanen with Josh Anderson and Chris Kreider? Those wingers have speed, and Kapanen has a knack for getting to the right spot for scoring chances.
Evans could also be in line for a promotion; when Kapanen faltered in the playoffs, he landed on the second line with Demidov and Newhook. But Evans has never scored 22 goals in a season.
At practice, St-Louis chose Kapanen to center Slafkovsky and Caufield, a tall order for the youngster, but he has played with the big Slovak before. As for the coach, he is confident that the Finn can make it work:
It's a next-man-up opportunity to keep things going. He'll play with two offensively talented players, as he did all last season; his game won't change. He'll complement those guys and do his job.
As for the fact that Kapanen will also be playing on the first power play unit, St-Louis added:
He's always had potential offensively. It's not the first time he's been on the power play, but with the injuries, it gives him an opportunity. We had to juggle that a little bit, and we think it can help us. He has a good shot, and he's very predictable for his teammates.
Many will have sighed with relief to see Kirby Dach wasn’t given yet another top-six opportunity. He may have improved the details of his game, but he hasn't done anything to earn a top-six spot and doesn’t play with the required commitment and intensity. Promoting Kapanen helps preserve the combinations that have worked well so far this season.
Suzuki’s absence will be a real big test for the Canadiens; how long can they make do without their leader and top-line center? Could Kent Hughes be forced to go out and get another center? The Canadiens’ GM doesn’t like to trade from a position of weakness, and other GMs would see him coming…
Former governor of Alaska and his girlfriend, Sarah Palin, confirmed the news.
“Obviously, it’s a big loss for all of us,” Sullivan said before the Rangers took on the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena that night. “The Rangers organization, in particular. We know he was a very popular Ranger. I had the privilege to play with Ron as a teammate for a year in the International Hockey League. A great man and a terrific hockey player.”
Sullivan and Duguay overlapped as teammates during the 1990-91 season with the San Diego Gulls.
While Sullivan was at the start of his playing career, breaking into the NHL in October 1991, Duguay was nearing the end and ultimately played parts of five seasons with the Gulls.
Former Rangers star Ron Duguay died Thursday after a battle with colon cancer. He was 69. NHLI via Getty ImagesRangers head coach Mike Sullivan looks on during the first period of a game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“I grew up watching some of these guys when he played with the Rangers and I had the opportunity to play with him and Charlie Simmer,” Sullivan said. “Two guys that had pretty, pretty successful NHL careers. It was the International Hockey League back in the day, for those of you guys that are old enough to remember it.
“I was in awe of those two guys because I grew up watching them play in the NHL. Just to have the opportunity to be one of their teammates was a great thrill for me as a young player.”
Dylan Garand will make his sixth consecutive start on Thursday night, but Sullivan is wary of the rookie netminder’s workload.
“I think he’s handled it fine,” Sullivan said earlier this week. “He didn’t play the full game in Jersey. Big picture, we have an eye on what the schedule looks like and how we’re going to try to utilize our goaltenders, but right now, we think he’s in a good place.”
Defenseman Sean Durzi, who missed practice on Wednesday for “maintenance,” participated in morning skate and was slated to play against Toronto.
Among players who have taken a minimum of 175 draws entering Thursday’s slate of games, two Rangers — J.T. Miller (3rd, 57.3) and Mika Zibanejad (5th, 55.4) — rank in the top five for faceoff win percentage in the NHL.
In anticipation of some positive injury updates, the Philadelphia Flyers have made another roster move, placing a well-respected tough guy on waivers to open up a roster spot.
On Thursday afternoon, the Flyers placed forward Garrett Wilson on waivers, which will clear the path to return for either Travis Konecny or Owen Tippett, who are currently on injured reserve.
Wilson, 35, appeared in two games for the Flyers this season, recording no points, and also played in three games for the club last season.
Wilson's three games last year were his first at the NHL level in seven years; the veteran enforcer last skated on NHL ice back in the 2018-19 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he scored two goals, six assists, and eight points in 50 games, and scored one goal in four playoff games.
Should the longtime tough guy clear waivers, the Flyers will assign him back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he's served as captain for each of the last three seasons.
A well-respected leader, Wilson has worn an 'A' or 'C' on his sweater every year since the 2014-15 season, with the exception of his one-year stint with the Toronto Marlies in 2019-20.
Flyers getting reinforcements?
Oct 15, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) gets set during a face off in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
With Wilson leaving the picture one way or another, it would certainly seem as though the Flyers are bracing for reinforcements in the form of Travis Konecny or Owen Tippett.
Tippett was placed on injured reserve on Monday, but the designation was retroactive to Oct. 15, requiring him to miss seven days. Once Wilson's transaction is processed, the Flyers can now activate the top-six winger.
Tippett was previously deemed day-to-day after suffering an upper-body injury in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 15.
As for Konecny, Kevin Kurz of The Athleticrecently reported that Konecny is expected to begin skating soon as he looks to return from his lower-body injury.
Konecny, who has played only five games for the Flyers this season, blocked a shot off his ankle in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 8, and has been out of commission since.
In the absences of their two key forwards, the Flyers have enjoyed breakouts from Matvei Michkov, who has stepped up in a major way, and Cole Knuble, who scored his first two NHL goals to power the Flyers to a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.
Alex Bump has returned to the NHL after a prolific AHL cameo, and Denver Barkey is finding his legs again after missing a good chunk of training camp and the early portion of the season due to injury.
Suddenly on a three-game win streak, the Flyers are beginning to get healthy at the right time.
The Calgary Flames return to the Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday evening to take on a Minnesota Wild team that has found its stride early in the season.
The Flames have shown signs of turning things around, picking up two wins in their last three games. They’ll have their hands full against a Wild club sitting at 6-2-2, led by the NHL’s hottest goal scorers.
Kirill Kaprizov has been off to a torrid start, leading the league with 11 goals while riding a seven-game point streak. The Flames will need to find a way to slow him down if they hope to keep their recent momentum going.
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Thursday’s matchup also marks a return to the Dome for a pair of familiar faces. Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta will face their former team in Calgary for the first time since being dealt to Minnesota at last season’s trade deadline, a deal that brought Blake Middleton to the Flames.
Jones has been making the most of his time in the AHL, recording seven goals and nine points in seven games with the Wranglers this season. He’ll have an opportunity to carry that production into the NHL as Calgary looks to keep its offence moving in the right direction.
Devin Cooley is expected to get the start in net after delivering a 34-save performance in Calgary’s most recent win against the Carolina Hurricanes. With Minnesota bringing plenty of firepower into the game, another strong outing from Cooley could go a long way toward helping the Flames pick up another two points at home.
Dmitri Simashev always has a smile every time he’s on the ice. Whether he was down in Tucson last season in the AHL or in Salt Lake City with the Utah Mammoth, the defenseman was always in a positive mood and always willing to chat with anyone who came his way.
This season, you could maybe catch him grinning ear to ear. He’s finally accomplished his dream of being a full-time NHLer, as he’s carved out a permanent spot in the Mammoth’s bottom pair alongside Andrew Peeke. Simashev couldn’t help but show his happiness when asked how he’s doing with a full-time job in Utah.
“There are no bad days in the NHL,” Simashev said.
Simashev didn’t get that NHL spot just because of his status as a first-round pick or a highly touted prospect. The defenseman earned that spot through his hard work and his growth over the past year, grinding in the NHL and the AHL.
The defenseman started the season in the NHL last year, and while it wasn’t a horrible start to his North American pro career, it wasn’t one that met his expectations. Simashev found himself playing under 15 minutes a night. He was making errors that needed correcting. Towards December, he found himself being healthy-scratched.
That’s when the Mammoth did the right thing and sent Simashev to the Tucson Roadrunners. It was never a permanent demotion. It was a chance to improve what needed to be improved in top defensive pairing minutes. Given those minutes, it was a big chance to gain more confidence, something that was clearly missing from his game.
“When you play like 26, 27 minutes in a night, and you play on the power play and PK, you see the situations like tough minutes,” Simashev said. “When you play power play, and in the last minutes when you play PK, you're just learning every game. You have confidence. You have the confidence to do something special on the ice, and it helps you in the future because every hockey mistake, you're doing this every game. It happens every day, and when you play a lot, you know what you can do in these situations in the future.”
The move to the AHL worked. Simashev played upwards of 23 minutes per night. He was making plays that no one had ever seen from him before. The defenseman was jumping forward and getting shots on net. He was scoring goals, including an overtime winner against the Bakersfield Condors in his fourth game with the Roadrunners.
At the end of the day, Simashev produced 35 points in 40 games. That was second among all Roadrunners defensemen and rookies. The defenseman also had the longest point streak among all Roadrunners. He ended up being named an AHL All-Star and was named to the AHL All-Rookie team.
“I just tried to help the guys to win the games, and we had a really good group of guys in AHL,” Simashev said. “When I start thinking about the AHL, I enjoyed my time there. It's a nice city. There are nice guys, and the AHL is a really good league.”
Keep in mind that before the 2025-26 season, Simashev had never played full-time in a North American-sized rink. He was also never relied on as an offensive player before, as that’s not a role defensemen typically play in the KHL.
Going into this season, it was obvious the Mammoth expected Simashev to make the roster full-time. They elected to trade Sean Durzi and let Ian Cole walk in order to make room for the young Russian.
Yet, that didn’t prompt Simashev to keep working hard. After being named captain of the Mammoth’s rookie camp team, the defenseman finished the rookie faceoff tournament with an assist in two games and was a key part of quarterbacking the power play and penalty kill.
So far with the Mammoth in the regular season, he’s got two assists across 10 games after only producing one in 28 games the prior season. Simashev’s been more willing to jump into the play and get to the front of the net. Part of the reason is that he knows what to expect after a year within the Mammoth organization. He knows how to handle the everyday life of an NHLer.
That, in turn, has also fed into the other part of the improvement behind Simashev’s game: the big growth in his confidence.
“I feel way more confident, way more,” Simashev said. “I already know what to expect in the games. Whenever you play against Edmonton or Pittsburgh, I know the players, the teams. I’m getting better every day. I'm a young guy. For every young player, you have to get better 1% minimum every day. I just try to play my game. Maybe spend more time with the puck, and coaches will trust me more this year.”
Head coach André Tourigny has seen the difference. It hasn’t been in just one area either. To him, Simashev has improved in a lot of key areas where he did well last season.
“I think Sima, for me, showed a really good thing last year in terms of speed, his ability to close and puck carry, his ability to skate with the puck, his ability to jump into plays,” Tourigny said. “It's the same thing this year. Just everything better, more mature, more in control.”
It’s been a great start for Simashev this season. He’s looked strong defensively, and you can tell the offense will come, especially if he keeps making the confident plays to move the puck up the ice and to the net.
For the defenseman, he’s happy to be with the Mammoth. As he said, there are no bad days in the NHL. This is what he’s always wanted to do, and being able to do it is unfathomable for him.
“I'm living my life and my dream,” Simashev said. “It's actually unbelievable to be around these players, to play against the best players in the world. Play against McDavid, Draisaitl, and Geno. He was my favorite player when I was a kid.”
Every day is a new day of growth for Simashev. He wants to find a way to improve in every game, every day of practice, every day of the NHL. Because while his dream might be accomplished, his goal isn’t. Simashev has his mind set on one thing, and that’s trying to be one of the best players in the league.
“For me, the game for me is slowing down every day, and I think every game I'm getting better because I want to be one of the best players in this league,” Simashev said. “I just want to be a good player here.”
If Simashev can continue working as hard as he’s been over the past couple of months, there’s no telling what his ceiling could end up being. As time goes on, he will climb up the blueline and more than likely be a top-three defenseman at some point.
However, no matter how far he gets, if you ever wonder how he’s doing, he’ll give you the same answer that he gave at the very beginning of his career with a smile; there are no bad days in the NHL.
Despite making the NHL roster out of training camp, the St. Louis Blues have placed Zach Dean on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Dean had an impressive pre-season and training camp. He flashed his speed and skill on multiple occasions, earning a roster spot to start the season. He started the season as an extra forward, but due to injuries, found his way into the lineup.
Dean dressed in three NHL games but recorded no points. The 23-year-old averaged 9:58 of ice time, recorded no shots on goal, and won 41.7 percent of his faceoffs.
Dean will return to the Thunderbirds if he clears waivers. The former 2021 first-round pick has played 96 AHL games, scoring 14 goals and 32 points in his career.
Ultimately, Dean wasn't a factor in his limited appearances to warrant staying on the NHL roster. The Blues also likely felt Dean was better off playing in the AHL and continuing to develop, rather than watching games from the press box.
This week, the Blues recalled Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Otto Stenberg, who are set to play their second consecutive game.
Currently, the Blues have six players on the injured reserve, but Alexey Toropchenko appears close to returning, as he's been skating with the Blues in non-contact. If Toropchenko is near a return, there is no need for Dean to be on the NHL roster.
Placing Dean on waivers carries some risk, but with most NHL rosters either at full capacity or at the salary cap limit, teams are less likely to claim players off waivers at this point in the season.
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As the clock ticks on the Detroit Red Wings and Simon Edvinsson, the trade chatter is only getting louder.
The latest report adds the San Jose Sharks and the Boston Bruins among the 10 teams interested in the 23-year-old defenseman. The St. Louis Blues are also reportedly among those teams interested, as they are believed to be keen on adding a defenseman like Edvinsson or Alexander Nikishin.
The Red Wings on the other hand have stated they will re-sign Edvinsson, although, the player is said to "prefer" a trade away from Detroit.
According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, who also had the report that Sharks and Bruins have entered the Edvinsson sweepstakes, he suggested trades like Mikhail Sergachev to the Utah Mammoth, Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks, and Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames as comparables for what the Red Wings would want in return.
The Mammoth gave up J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, and two draft picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Sergachev. For Dobson, the Canadiens sent forward Emil Heinenman and two first-round picks to the New York Islanders.
The Buffalo Sabres received blueliner Louis Crevier, a first- and a second-round pick, from the Blackhawks, while the Flames parted with two conditional first-round picks, a second-round pick, and blueliner prospect Etienne Morin.
With this in mind, the Blues could formulate a deal around Dalibor Dvorsky, like Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon suggested earlier this month. If they chose a different route, they could send a package of prospects like Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg, or draft picks.
Whichever way they choose to go, they'll still need to sign Edvinsson to a contract, who is believed to be seeking about $10 to $11 million annually.
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ST. LOUIS – The challenges will continue to get stiffer for the St. Louis Blues (4-4-1) when they play the second of a five-game homestand Thursday by hosting the Vegas Golden Knights (8-3-0) at 7 p.m. and can be seen on First Alert ABC 32-1 over the air television for the first time this season along with (Blue Note+, ESPN 101.10FM).
It’s the first of consecutive visits over the next two games when the Blues, coming off a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, host the past two Stanley Cup finalists at Enterprise Center.
Vegas lost to the Carolina Hurricanes, who come to town Saturday, in six games last season.
“This stretch, the five games at home, is really good hockey teams in the NHL that are all doing well already,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “We’re just focused on tonight and we’re really focused on ourselves. We want to be a consistent team that knows who we are and we want to get to that, and we’ve been talking about it a lot. We know Vegas is good, we know what they do really well, but we have to play our brand of game to be able to have a chance against a really good hockey team.”
The Blues will not make any lineup changes from Tuesday, meaning that Zach Dean and Theo Lindstein will be tonight’s healthy scratches, and Joel Hofer, who is coming off a 32-save performance Tuesday, will start for the seventh time in 10 games this season.
Hofer is 3-2-1 on the season with a 2.19 goals-against average and .919 save percentage, and there’s an opportunity for the Blues to ride the 25-year-old for a stretch of games, or is there?
“I understand the question, but Jordan Binnington’s a huge part of our team,” Montgomery said, “and we think our tandem is what makes us special as a team. It’s a huge advantage, we think, against the rest of the league. It’s going to be the two of them working together. Joel’s going to play more games, but at what level, it just depends on how the season progresses.”
- - -
It was another day on the ice for forward Alexey Toropchenko, who continues to rehab from an upper-body injury suffered Oct. 2 in a 4-0 win against the Dallas Stars.
Toropchenko began skating with the team on Monday and has been on the ice each day since, including an optional morning skate on Thursday.
“Good,” Montgomery said on the progress. “Took a little bit of bumping yesterday, take some more bumping tomorrow and he might be close.”
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich
Aleksanteri Kaskimaki-Pius Suter-Otto Stenberg
Philip Broberg-Justin Barron
Adam Jiricek-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Theo Lindstein and Zach Dean. Logan Mailloux (hand), Tyler Tucker (knee), Alexey Toropchenko (upper body), Dillon Dube (neck) and Ross Johnston (lower body) are out.
- - -
Golden Knights Projected Lineup:
Ivan Barbashev-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone
Brett Howden-William Karlsson-Mitch Marner
Trevor Connelly-Tomas Hertl-Raphael Lavoie
Marc Gatcomb-Nic Dowd-Braeden Bowman
Shea Theodore-Brayden McNabb
Jeremy Lauzon-Rasmus Andersson
Dylan Coghlan-Noah Hanifin
Adin Hill will start in goal; Carter Hart will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Ville Heinola and Alexander Holtz. Victor Olofsson (lower body) and Parker Wotherspoon (upper body) are out.
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Jake McCabe was a full participant at the Toronto Maple Leafs’ morning skate on Thursday and is expected to play against the New York Rangers despite absorbing a high stick that forced him from Tuesday’s game in Columbus.
The 33-year-old defenceman was struck near the eye by Kent Johnson’s stick in the first period of the Leafs’ 6-2 win over the Blue Jackets. He went to the locker room and did not return, held out as a precaution once the lead grew comfortable. McCabe skated with regular defensive partner Darren Raddysh on the top pairing.
“He really got himself a break,” Hiller said of McCabe’s injury. “Anytime the stick gets up underneath the eye, you never know what it’s going to look like. So he was fortunate. He’s doing well.”
McCabe described a brief moment of panic before he opened his eye and confirmed he could still see. Swelling set in quickly, but he said it felt better by Thursday. He credited the training staff, including Paul Ayotte, for handling the situation. Asked about any frustration with the play, McCabe was direct.
“A little bit, yeah. I’ll be honest,” McCabe said. “I think guys can take better care of their sticks for sure. But obviously, it’s an accident. I’m not going to fault him for that. But just a general consensus. I’ve gotten a couple high sticks the last three, four games, and they seem to be from younger players. So keep your stick down.”
McCabe said he does not need a different visor for Thursday’s game. His availability is significant with Chris Tanev still sidelined by an upper-body injury. McCabe and Troy Stecher have been hopping over the boards first on the penalty kill, and the Leafs have continued to generate pressure and chances late in kills even without Tanev.
Marshall Rifai’s status is less clear. The defenceman left the morning skate early after starting the session paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Hiller said Rifai is dealing with something and that the Leafs would have to wait and see.
Rifai scored his first NHL goal on Tuesday in Columbus, finishing a play in the Leafs’ six-goal outburst. McCabe noted that the call-up received regular shifts and close to 20 minutes that night, which he viewed as positive for Rifai’s confidence. The 28-year-old had been recalled to provide depth on a blue line already missing Tanev.
Auston Matthews has been scoring on a torrid pace, with six in his last six games. Through 11 games, Matthews leads the Leafs in scoring. Hiller said the production is a matter of time given the talent level once the skating and habits stay in place.
“He’s just been so consistent,” Hiller said of Matthews. “He’s skated from the first day of camp. That’s what I’ve noticed. Now to start the season, he played really well. Didn’t score a lot of goals, and it didn’t change. He just kept skating and skating. So now, you know, he’s going to score. We know that he’s a world-class goal scorer.”
McCabe described Matthews as leading the way on and off the ice. Darren Raddysh called the current version “vintage Auston,” referencing the games from Matthews’ 70-goal chase. Nylander, who has seen the full arc of Matthews’ career in Toronto, said the present level may even exceed that earlier peak.
“Probably maybe even better than that at that point,” Nylander said. “I mean, we’ll see. I think 70 goals is crazy, but I mean just the way he’s playing is about the same probably.”
Nylander’s own game has drawn positive reviews from the coaching staff for reasons beyond the scoresheet. Hiller said conversations about play without the puck that once required regular attention are largely finished. Nylander now shows a clearer grasp of both sides of the puck and how he fits into the structure when the Leafs are playing well. He has found chemistry with Marchenko and Paul. Nylander likes Marchenko’s size, right-handedness and similar approach to the game, and he noted that the line has been clicking.
Special Teams Fuel Leafs
The Leafs’ special teams have been a quiet strength through the early schedule. On the penalty kill, McCabe pointed to increased up-ice pressure from Sissons and others that disrupts opposing breakouts, plus late-kill contributions from Nylander and Cowan. Nylander mentioned a strong pass from Rielly that set up Cowan’s first NHL shorthanded goal in Columbus. On the power play, Nylander said the unit is moving the puck well and getting pucks to the net, producing goals in different ways. Raddysh attributed the success to options, reading pressure and players buying into the system the coaches want.
Younger players continue to receive opportunities and show comfort with the pace. Hiller said a pre-season conversation with Easton Cowan stood out because Cowan laid out higher expectations for himself than the staff had outlined. Consistency night after night remains the challenge for any young player, but Hiller said Cowan has largely met that standard. Nylander, asked about the confidence level of the next wave, recalled his own early desire to have the puck and score. He said the current group is doing a good job of wanting to be difference-makers.
Toronto’s penalty kill is the best in the NHL through games played on Oct. 21 at 97.4 percent. They also have the fifth-best power play at 27.5 percent.
Brother vs Brother
Darren Raddysh will face his brother Taylor of the Rangers on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena. Raddysh led the stretching group at the morning skate and called the matchup special. Taylor was supportive of the decision to join the Leafs, and the brothers have talked for years about the possibility of playing together. They shared three seasons in junior and appeared in two games as teammates in Tampa. Raddysh said the family has long discussed the idea, though he expects a competitive night.
“It’ll be special,” Raddysh said. “He’s been supportive of my decision to come here and what it means to our family. We’ve talked about it for a long time, and both being on the ice here will be special.”
Taylor and Darren Raddysh taking a photo together at center ice in their first game against each other in the NHL.
He noted that Taylor may hold the overall bragging rights in their NHL meetings, but pointed to a previous game in which he recorded three points and the Leafs won. Childhood game trips usually involved their father taking one of the brothers, often the one who was a Devils fan. On the ice, Raddysh said there are no friends, though he joked he might not deliver his hardest check if they meet in a corner.
The Rangers enter the game with a 7-3-1 record and have looked more solid on the blue line after summer additions. McCabe described Alexis Lafrenière as a player who brings pace, a quick release and offensive vision, and he expects a difficult test against a Rangers group that has been playing with confidence.
Tavares and Tanev status for upcoming road trip unclear
John Tavares remains out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Hiller said he did not yet have a definitive update on either Tavares or Tanev regarding the road trip that follows Thursday’s game. The Leafs are looking for a third consecutive win after taking both ends of a back-to-back against the Sharks and Blue Jackets. With McCabe available, the blue line has its most experienced option back in the mix, even as Rifai’s availability stays unresolved after his early departure from the skate and his first career goal two nights earlier.
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ELMONT, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 03: Casey Cizikas #53 of the New York Islanders scores against Nico Daws #50 of the New Jersey Devils at the UBS Arena on October 03, 2026 in Elmont, New York. The Islanders shut out the Devils 6-0. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Goaltending was once the position that defined the New Jersey Devils as a franchise. For roughly the past decade now, the position has been a revolving door of inconsistency for a team that was spoiled by having the great Martin Brodeur between the pipes. General Manager Sunny Mehta hasn’t made any rash decisions to try and fix the issues since taking over in his role this past summer, but that doesn’t mean he’s been idle either. He moved on from an underachieving Jacob Markstrom in favor of giving Jake Allen more starts and allowing Nico Daws to have a true path to be an NHL net minder. He also brought in veteran David Rittich to provide depth and claimed Remi Poirier off of waivers from Dallas when he became available.
All of this of course is leading us to having a tough conversation about Nico Daws.
Now 25 years old (and turning 26 before the end of the calendar year), Daws isn’t really a prospect any longer. At the same time, as alluded to above, he’s not really an established NHLer either. Across five NHL seasons, Daws has only appeared in 58 games, and 46 of those came in his first two seasons in the league. He has only started 10 games over the past three seasons; some of the blame there, however, may lie with the last regime, as they wanted to run with two veteran goalies. At the same time though Daws did not do much of anything to push either of the two incumbents out or for a different team to pick him up off of waivers. One would have to think that if Daws had at least shown enough potential to be an NHL asset, some team would have taken a chance on him at least one of the times that he was on waivers.
Daws hasn’t inspired much confidence to start off his 2026-27. While Mehta has implied that Daws could seize the starting role, he’s been too inconsistent to do so and Jake Allen has started six of the Devils’ first nine games as a result. Now, I’m not saying Allen has been great with his .883 save percentage, but Daws has somehow been worse with only an .857. One good game doesn’t offset the two poorer outings, especially when you look at the number of shots on goal versus the number of them that went in. While the team left Daws out to dry in terms of goals in his first game, he still let in some softies that can’t get past a good tender. His next outing saw him face just 19 shots, but only 16 of them would get stopped. Yes, the offense was not good again in that game, but NHL teams don’t win games when three goals go in on 19 shots either.
For Daws, this isn’t anything new; he’s been inconsistent his entire time in the NHL, and even at the AHL level to the point where the Devils claimed another goalie who has had consistent stats at least at the AHL level. Yet with Remi Poirier seemingly waiting in the wings, the Devils have continued to roll Allen/Daws. At what point does the team pull the plug on the Daws experiment? When do they decide that enough inconsistency is enough and give a shot to Poirier or even Rittich?
The Devils are a team that are supposed to be at the very least competing, and while you can win with an average goalie in today’s NHL, you cannot win with a below average one. I think we’re at, or at least very, very quickly approaching the point where we can label Daws as “below average” at the NHL level. He hasn’t shown consistency, he hasn’t shown anything to make himself stand out, and aside from a few glimmers of hope in his first couple of seasons, he hasn’t strung together any amount of success that would indicate an NHL future. Maybe you argue 58 games isn’t a large enough sample size for a goalie to see if they can amount to anything. I would counter that by saying that if he had shown himself to be skilled enough, he would have pushed Allen or Jacob Markstrom out; and no, Markstrom being traded this past summer was not because they had Daws.
If the Devils had no other options in the system at this time, I wouldn’t be pushing for the Devils to end the Daws experiment. But with Poirier waiting for an opportunity and Rittich putting up strong AHL numbers, why keep rolling out Daws? He’s not going to magically transform into a consistent NHL starter, and he seemingly isn’t any better than he was in his prior stints, even with a new goaltending coach. Jake Allen isn’t a long-term answer, but at least when he starts, there’s a feeling he can keep the Devils above water. I don’t get that same feeling with Daws and again, with how inconsistent he’s been, why not try someone else who maybe can be an answer for a team that is craving playoff success? Those answers lie somewhere beyond this article, but hopefully something is solved soon that leads to sustained success for our New Jersey Devils.
What are your thoughts on the Devils/Nico Daws situation; do you think it’s time to pull the plug on the experiment? Are you willing to give him a few more games after his most recent performance? Would you rather see the Devils team Remi Poirier or David Rittich with Jake Allen? Does your concern lie more with the personnel around the goalies rather than the goalies themselves? Leave any and all comments down below and thanks as always for reading!
The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home for a three-game home stand after going 0-4 on their recent Western swing.
They got 0/8 points on that trip and now find themselves in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with a 3-6-1 record. They'll now face a Florida Panthers team that is likely very upset after getting thumped 5-1 by the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night.
Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk returned to Ottawa for the first time since being traded and got heckled all game by Senators fans. They were relentless with their chants and saw a dominant win.
This is still a winnable game for the Penguins, especially since the Panthers will be on the second half of a back-to-back with travel. The Panthers are also without star forward Aleksander Barkov and don't have the services of Brad Marchand or goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Matthew Tkachuk has started the year strong, posting three goals and 15 points in 10 games. Seth Jones is right behind him with one goal and 11 points in 10 games, followed by Brady Tkachuk with seven goals and 11 points in 10 games.
Don't forget about Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, or Carter Verhaeghe. They can fill the net at any time.
The Penguins debuted some new lines and pairs during Thursday's morning skate. Forwards Ben Kindel and Bryan Rust won't play in this game, and neither will defenseman Sam Girard.
Here's what the lines and pairs looked like:
Forwards
Novak-Crosby-Rakell
Koivunen-Lapierre-Malkin
Kuzmenko-Lizotte-Chinakhov
Soderblom-Dewar-Robertson
Defense
Stastney-Karlsson
Solovyov-Letang
Carlile-Korczak
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for the Penguins in this game. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X."
QMJHL's Quebec Remparts To Host 2028 Memorial CupQuebec City will officially host the 2028 Memorial Cup, with the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts being named as one of four participating teams in the event.
