Category: NHL

The Buffalo Sabres practiced at KeyBank Center on Tuesday for the second straight day, in advance of the beginning of their four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. After sitting out for some maintenance on Monday, winger Zach Benson skating by himself and joined the club for the 45-minute long workout, taking the spot of Jiri Kulich.

Head coach Lindy Ruff provided updates on Benson and the status of other Sabres players:

"(Things)went  well  for  Benson. (He) stayed  out  for  practice.  Had  a  good  day.  He'll  be  available  to  play." 

On Conor Timmins, who Ruff said may have had a little setback during his weekly appearance on WGR 550 Tuesday morning:

“A little bit of a false alarm, he felt better this morning. It wasn’t good when he left yesterday, but when he got back, it felt good and he participated in practice.”  

He said that the timetable for his return is “fairly soon.”

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Ruff indicated that Jiri Kulich is close to being available after getting out of concussion protocol.

"(We're) going  to  just  see  how  he  handled  today,  yesterday.  I  thought  yesterday  was  an  okay  day  for  him.  I  think  he's  still  got  a  little  catching  up  to  do,  but  we'll  make  that  decision.  He  could  be  an  option,  though,  for  sure.”

Colten Ellis was in the starter’s net for practice, which could mean that he will get the starts against the Sens, who are two points ahead of Buffalo in the Atlantic Division standings.

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If there's a combination of traits the Philadelphia Flyers could absolutely take for free at the center position, it's speed, skill, and a strong draft pedigree. By combing the NHL waiver wire, the Flyers can find all three.

Although the depth at the center position was already thin coming into the 2026-27 season, things have gotten a bit worse for the Flyers, given that Trevor Zegras has been affixed to the left wing position.

That's been a productive change, which has worked in the favor of Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet, but the team has been platooning Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates, Sean Couturier, Noel Acciari, Denver Barkey, and Jacob Gaucher down the middle at various points in the last few weeks.

Down in the AHL, the Flyers are committed to allowing top center prospect Jett Luchanko the time he needs to develop into a high-quality NHL player, so he's off the table barring some dire circumstances.

But, that's where the NHL waiver wire comes in handy.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Winnipeg Jets placed forward prospect Brad Lambert on waivers, making him available to the Flyers and the other 30 NHL teams for free if they choose.

Flyers' Cole Knuble Quickly Becoming Key for Young TeamBy doing all the dirty work, Philadelphia Flyers rookie Cole Knuble has established himself faster than anyone could have expected.

Lambert, still just 22 years old, was drafted 30th overall in the first round of the 2022 draft, and he brings to the table an elite package of skating ability and playmaking.

The end product hasn't come for the Finn, though, as he has just nine points in 43 career NHL games across four seasons.

In the AHL, Lambert has 36 goals, 70 assists, and 106 points in 173 games, though it's worth noting that after scoring 55 points in 64 AHL games in 2023-24, Lambert regressed to just 35 points in 61 games in 2024-25, and 13 points in 34 games in 2025-26.

The former first-round pick is now a player who is clearly trending in the wrong direction and in need of a change of scenery, something that the Jets have apparently recognized.

With just one assist in 11 NHL games with Winnipeg this season, it's understandable that none of the other NHL teams, including the Flyers, have offered up any assets for Lambert to jump the waiver wire.

But, given that Lambert is on waivers and can be claimed for free, he's an obvious fit for the Flyers, especially as a potential right-shot center.

After assigning Alex Bump to the AHL on Tuesday, the Flyers have one roster spot available, which can be filled by Lambert.

Active contracts (47/50) are not an issue for the Flyers, either, and this is a low-stakes move. Lambert has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, meaning he's a cheap, no-strings-attached dart-throw who is under team control as a pending RFA.

The Flyers badly need speed and skill at the center position, and Lambert, who has primarily featured as a wing, would benefit greatly from a new opportunity under a fresh set of eyes and coaches.

If things don't work out with Lambert, the Flyers can simply put him back on waivers and move on as if nothing happened.

Because Nov. 1 has come and passed, the waiver wire order is now dictated by the current season's standings, rather than last season's standings.

As a result, the Flyers have been propelled towards the top of the waiver wire order, with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Vancouver Canucks, in that order, the only teams higher. The Jets, who are one spot ahead of the Flyers, obviously cannot claim their own player.

So, again, if the Flyers can get value out of Lambert's speed and talent down the middle, it's a slam-dunk waiver claim.

If they see Lambert as a winger, then players like Bump and Gaucher are clearly ahead if for no reason other than familiarity.

Having won just four of 16 games this season, the Flyers are in the perfect situation to take chances on reclamation projects, and Lambert checks all the boxes for Philadelphia.

On Monday, Fanatics revealed the new Hometown Remix jerseys, and, unsurprisingly, the Montreal Canadiens’ jersey was pretty close to last week's leaked design. The one difference is that the numbers are solid red rather than white with a red outline, which is a positive since it will make them easier to see on TV, in the nosebleed seats of the Bell Centre, and in the press gallery.

The jersey drew mixed reactions, splitting the fan base into two camps: those who think there’s too much white and that the Habs logo not being red is infamous, and those who think it has a crisp look. We’ll reserve judgment until we see them in action on the ice.

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The Canadiens will wear them for the first time on Tuesday night as they host the Winnipeg Jets. As always, new jerseys mean new gear, including new masks for the goaltenders. Jacob Fowler will once again be in net and show off his new bucket, another Sylabrush creation the duo shared on its Instagram account Monday night.

It goes back to the American netminder’s Iron Man design but also features the Montreal skyline on one side and the Olympic Stadium on the other, with his “Gator” nickname written on both sides. The backplate features the Quebec license plate and the “Lights will guide you home” lyrics, and it also adds the symbols found on the Montreal City flag, which also appear on the jersey. Overall, it’s a crisp, classic look.

As for Jakub Dobes, he will no doubt get a chance to wear his in a game later this season, as Montreal is set to wear the new threads 10 times. The Czech netminder has decided to stick with the Game of Thrones font on the front of the mask for the “Doby” nickname, and it still features Ghost, Jon Snow’ wolf, from the series. On the sides, it features icicles and the Canadiens’ logo as it appears on the Hometown Remix jersey, plus symbols from the town’s flag. Of course, there are Fleur-de-lis on one side and on the backplate with the usual “Ole Ole Ole”. On the other side, there’s a fir tree. Overall, it’s another great mask for Dobes.

It will be interesting to see what the fans think of the jersey tonight and how many wear it in the stands. We’ve seen numerous Heritage Classic jerseys over the last few weeks, but it remains to be seen if this new design will be as popular.

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Brian Burke pulled off some franchise-altering trades as GM of the Vancouver Canucks. Notable moves included trading for the picks to draft Daniel and Henrik Sedin and acquiring key players like Ed Jovanovski, Sami Salo, Dan Cloutier, Brendan Morrison, and Trevor Linden. One name not on the list is Miikka Kiprusoff, who, according to a new podcast appearance, almost became the Canucks' starting goaltender. 

On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman & Kyle Bukauskas interviewed both Brian and his son Patrick Burke. At around the 25-minute mark, Friedman asked Patrick if there were any trades his father regretted. Burke chose a trade that didn't happen, which would have landed Vancouver a future Vezina winner. 

"I remember him and Dave Nonis negotiating aggressively on Miikka Kiprusoff when they were in Vancouver and not quite getting the deal across the line," said Burke. "And if I remember right, because I was sitting next to them at the table, (Nonis) was trying to pull together a conditional pick. Which, at the time, it's very common now, but teams didn't do it much. You know, if the guy plays X number of games, or his goals against is this or we make the playoffs, it goes from a third to a second or whatever it was. I think it was just getting too convoluted, but I remember Kiprusoff being on the table in Vancouver and years of goaltending problems in Vancouver that that may have solved. At the time, he was an unknown. It was a big swing, but I remember sitting there, listening to the negotiations and then, two years later, kind of gone, 'Oh, that would have been nice.'"

While Burke did not reveal exactly when this deal would have happened, it would have occurred before the start of the 2003-04 campaign. This is because Kiprusoff was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Calgary Flames on November 16, 2023. At the time of the trade, Kiprusoff had played three seasons with the Sharks and posted a 14-21-3 record. 

Kiprusoff would develop into one of the best Finnish goaltenders in NHL history. He recorded 319 wins and won the Vezina Trophy in 2006. The Canucks would have to wait a few more years before getting their franchise-altering goalie, as in 2006, Dave Nonis acquired Roberto Luongo from the Florida Panthers. 

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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The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Brad Lambert on waivers Tuesday, marking a pretty sizeable development for the organization's former first-round draft pick.

Lambert, 22, was selected 30th overall by Winnipeg in the 2022 NHL Draft and was once considered among the team's most promising young offensive prospects.

The Finnish-born forward has struggled to establish himself as a full-time NHL player despite showing considerable offensive upside during his time with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Lambert enjoyed a breakout 2023-24 campaign with Manitoba, recording 21 goals and 55 points in 64 games. However, that success has yet to translate into a permanent role with the Jets.

Lambert has appeared in 11 games with Winnipeg this season, registering one assist while averaging 9:10 of ice time. Through 42 career NHL games, he has three goals and nine points.

The move comes after Lambert was involved in trade speculation last season, with reports indicating the Jets had given him permission to seek a trade.

Lambert will now be available to the NHL's other 31 teams through the waiver process. Should he go unclaimed, Winnipeg would have the option of assigning him to Manitoba.

The Jets are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak and have not won a game since starting the year 4-1-1. They take on the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night in Quebec. 

On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets enter a massive matchup against the Montreal Canadiens that could prove pivotal to their chances of making it back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. After losing nine straight games, their playoff odds have plummeted like few teams have seen.

Winnipeg missed the playoffs last season, so sources like MoneyPuck never gave the Jets the highest hopes, and after the trade of superstar goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, coupled with the nine-game losing skid, their chances have fallen below ten percent. At 6.6 percent, they are currently fourth-worst in the NHL. The only teams with worse odds are the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks.

Playoff chances as of Tuesday https://t.co/RbnckCLHNPpic.twitter.com/ky7nqWZ64n

— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) November 3, 2026

That doesn't mean the season is essentially over, as many teams have seen their stock swing dramatically. Last season, the Detroit Red Wings were near the top of the Atlantic Division, with odds of making the playoffs above 90 percent and a chance to end their lengthy postseason drought. 

They then suffered a massive late-season fall-off, going 9-15-5 over their final 29 games, the fourth-worst record in the NHL, and missing the playoffs, which extended their drought to a full decade.

Despite their lengthy losing streak, the Jets are still just four points out of a playoff spot and are nowhere near out of the fight. They have also just come through one of the hardest stretches of their season, facing the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and, twice, the Canadiens, with the second meeting coming Tuesday. 

So it makes sense that Winnipeg struggled and after Tuesday, the schedule gets far more favorable, with easier competition in the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders over the coming weeks. The Jets will hopefully be able to start stacking wins and making gains in the standings while building up some momentum.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home for two games this week after losing in Montreal to the Canadiens 5-4 on Saturday.

They'll play a Vegas Golden Knights team that lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Boston Bruins on Monday. This will be the second half of a back-to-back with travel for the Golden Knights, so the Penguins will have the schedule advantage. 

Still, this is one heck of a Golden Knights team coming into this game with a 9-5-2 record, good for second in the Pacific Division. They punked the Penguins 6-2 earlier in the season when the Penguins lost all four games on their western road trip. 

Jack Eichel has been fantastic to start the season, compiling seven goals and 20 points in 16 games. He can do it all and is outstanding at shutting down the league's best players.

Mark Stone leads the team in goals with 10 and also has 18 points in 16 games. Don't forget about Mitch Marner, too. He's one of the league's best distributors, as shown by 15 of his 17 points being assists. 

They also have Tomas Hertl, Trevor Connelly, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden, all of whom can fill the net at any time. 

Defensively, Shea Theodore carries much of the load, but Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson also help when they can. Adin Hill is slated to start in goal after Carter Hart played on Monday. 

The Penguins will be without star forward Evgeni Malkin on Tuesday, but his injury doesn't sound serious. He was a participant during the morning skate and could return against Boston on Thursday.

Defenseman Kaedan Korczak should be good to go after also participating in the morning skate. Like Malkin, he missed Monday's practice with an injury. 

Here's a look at the expected lines and pairings:

Forwards

Novak-Crosby-Rakell

Kuzmenko-Kindel-Chinakhov

Koivunen-Lapierre-Brazeau

Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson

Defense

Stastney-Karlsson

Girard-Korczak

Carlile-Letang

Arturs Silovs will start in goal after having the night off on Saturday.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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Colton Parayko is not ready yet, Ross Johnston is back, and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, fresh off scoring his first NHL goal, will be a healthy scratch when the St. Louis Blues (7-6-1) play the second of a four-game road trip against the New York Rangers (7-7-1) Tuesday at 6 p.m. (Blue Note+, ESPN 101.1-FM) at Madison Square Garden.

Parayko missed Saturday's 5-4 win at the Detroit Red Wings with an upper-body injury suffered in a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins last Thursday and continues to be listed as day-to-day, with the Blues wanting to be cautious with him and not turn it into a prolonged injury.

Johnston, who has not played since Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Wild due to a lower-body injury, was to return to the lineup at some point on this road trip, Blues coach Jim Montgomery said prior to the team departing, and looks like today is the day, and he will replace Kaskimaki, who scored his first NHL goal -- the game-winner -- on Saturday.

Some of you may be scoffing at the notion of Kaskimaki coming out, and it's a valid thought since the rookie has played really well since his recall from Springfield of the American Hockey League, but the Rangers are a physical team and possess one of the toughest fighters in the league in Matt Rempe, and Johnston's presence for that alone will be imperative in case there are fisticuffs.

- - -

With defenseman Logan Mailloux being sent to Springfield of the American Hockey League for a conditioning assignment from the broken hand he suffered in the final preseason game on Sept. 26 against the Chicago Blackhawks, there's a chance -- albeit a slight one -- he could be ready as early as Saturday in the final game of the trip against the Nashville Predators but more likely when the team returns home next week in a rematch against the Red Wings.

- - -

The Blues will make a third attempt at that elusive third straight win. 

In attempts earlier this season, they lost 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes Oct. 24 and 5-4 to the Wild.

- - -

Blues Projected Lineup:

Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren

Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich

Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Ross Johnston

Philip Broberg-Brandon Carlo

Cam Fowler-Adam Jiricek

Theo Lindstein-Justin Barron

Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.

The healthy scratch includes Aleksanteri Kaskimaki. Colton Parayko (upper body), Tyler Tucker (knee) and Dillon Dube (neck) are out.

- - -

Rangers Projected Lineup:

Pavel Dorofeyev-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere

Tye Kartye-J.T. Miller-Gabe Perreault

Eeli Tolvanen-Will Cuylle-Oliver Bjorkstrand

Jaroslav Chlemar-Noah Laba-Matt Rempe

Vladislav Gavrikov-Adam Fox

Marcus Pettersson-Braden Schneider

Alberts Smits-Scott Morrow

Dylan Garand will start in goal; James Reimer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Luke Glendening and Matthew Robertson. Igor Shesterkin (lower body), Joonas Korpisalo (lower body), Sean Durzi (undisclosed) and Joseph Veleno (lower body) are out.

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There was nothing more Carter Mazur wanted than to play for the Detroit Red Wings one day, his favorite team while growing up in Michigan. 

Not only is he living that dream, but on Monday evening, he hit a major career milestone. 

Mazur scored his first NHL goal as part of Detroit's 5-3 win over the divisional rival Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena, whipping a shot past the glove of goaltender Jacob Markstrom. 

The Michigan-born forward, who has experienced numerous injury setbacks in the early goings of his young career, said that the milestone goal came as a relief.

“It was a relief, for sure, especially going through all those injuries throughout my career," Mazur said in the dressing room afterward. "To finally get that one it felt really special for me.”

"I just put my head down and tried to shoot it into the back of the net, and luckily, it went in." 

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The victory for the Red Wings was something they needed in the wake of their 5-4 setback on Saturday afternoon against the St. Louis Blues in which they held a two-goal third period lead. 

"I think it was a good response from the last game against St. Louis," Mazur said. "I think we came out hard, especially against a tough team like Florida, and we just have to keep building off that." 

"You just have to move on and take a lesson from it, and come out even stronger. I think we did a good job of that." 

Also scoring for the Red Wings were Alex DeBrincat, Justin Faulk, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Emmitt Finnie (empty net). Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennett all tallied for the Panthers. 

Scoring his first goal will feel good for Mazur, who suffered a fluke injury just seconds into his NHL debut in the spring of 2025; he's missed weeks of playing time with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins with various ailments.

So far this season with the Red Wings, he's appeared in nine gams and has three points. 

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At Monday’s Montreal Canadiens practice, just shy of two weeks after suffering an injury against the San Jose Sharks, Nick Suzuki was back skating between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. Still, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed that he won't play on Tuesday night when the Habs take on the Winnipeg Jets.

Tuesday’s tilt will be the second of the season between the two sides since they played one another just over a week ago at the Heritage Classic. With the NHL's eyes on the outdoor game, the Jets took 34 shots on net, but Jacob Fowler was nearly unbeatable, allowing only one goal while the Habs scored two and took the win. Montreal will wear yet another jersey as they debut their Hometown Remix threads, unveiled yesterday to mixed reactions.

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While Jacob Fowler won his last start, it wasn’t his best night, so the coach could have sent Jakub Dobes back in net, but he elected not to do it. Thanks to his stellar play since being called up from the Laval Rocket, Fowler was named NHL rookie of the month in October and won the Molson Cup, so he earned himself some leeway.

Both netminders have faced the Jets once and have come out on top with enviable stats. Fower has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage after his Heritage Classic antics, while Dobes has a 1.38 GAA and a .938 SV after a 3-2 shootout win last March.

At the other end of the ice, Stuart Skinner would probably like a chance to get his revenge after losing the outdoor game, but he was lit up for five goals on Sunday when the Jets lost 7-0 to the Caroline Hurricanes. The netminder has a 4-3-0 record against Montreal with a 2.72 GAA and an .893 SV. The visitors currently have three netminders on the roster: Nico Daws, who’s 2-1-0 against the Habs with a 2.68 GAA and a .901 SV against Montreal, and Clay Stevenson, who has never faced the Sainte-Flanelle; complete the trio and are the two alternatives.

Up front, Phillip Danault leads all Habs skaters in points against the visitors with 24 in 32 games, followed by captain Nick Suzuki with 17 in 21 games and power forward Josh Anderson with 17 in 26 games. Chris Kreider is next in line with 16 points in 27 duels. The two big wingers are coming off a multi-point performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. As for Cole Caufield, he has nine points in 12 games against the Jets, including two assists last week, but Winnipeg remains the only NHL team he has never scored against.

For the Jets, Kyle Connor produces more than a point per game against Montreal with 29 in 25 games, followed by Mark Scheifele, who has 26 in 33 games, while Nino Niederreiter completes the top three with 18 points in 32 games. Scheifele will no doubt be looking for revenge after Fowler stopped him seven times at the Heritage Classic, including a couple of times when he looked to the heavens, likely wondering what on earth he had to do to beat the youngster.

Montreal has won six of the last 10 duels between the two sides, including the last three games, and is off to a much better start to the season than the visitors. The Habs have 20 points and are fifth in the league, but have games in hand on the first four teams, while the Jets are currently 28th overall, have lost their last five games, and are 1-7-2 in their last 10. The game is set for 7:00 PM; you can catch it in French on RDS and in English on TSN 2. Alex Lepkowski and Chris Rooney are the referees, while Shandor Alphonso and Jonathan Deschamps are the linesmen.

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An injury has left Kaeden Korczak in the day-to-day range and as a result has led to the first call-up of the season for defenseman Jake Livanavage.

Defenseman Jake Livanavage has been recalled from @WBSPenguins (AHL). pic.twitter.com/vnHzlUZs8a

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 3, 2026

Livanavage has arguably been the best defender in Wilkes-Barre this year, leading the blueline in scoring with eight points (2G+6A) in nine AHL games. As a left shot defender, it remains to be seen if this call-up will be more to have an extra body on hand while Korczak is injured or if Livanavage will get the opportunity to play at some point. Bringing Livanavage up to the NHL roster means the team will have seven healthy players (excluding Korczak) and presumably put Livanavage or Ilya Solovyov into the playing lineup for the duration of Korczak’s absence.

One player who will be getting into the lineup is Justin Brazeau, who worked yesterday with Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre. Brazeau has been given the green light to play tonight in the NHL by coach Dan Muse after a two-game conditioning stint in the AHL where he recorded an assist.

"I think it's just getting the game back, making sure I feel good, my body feels good & mentally getting ready so when I go back up I'm ready to go."

Justin Brazeau caught up with @InsideAHLHockey Sunday at the end of his conditioning loan with #WBSPens.https://t.co/x9WnYMPap0

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) November 2, 2026

Brazeau’s return comes at a good time for the team with Elmer Soderblom’s injury having been changed into a week-to-week status following further evaluation. Brazeau’s return gives the Penguins 13 forwards on the current roster, though Evgeni Malkin missed practice yesterday with what was called a day-to-day injury and has an unknown status for tonight’s game against Vegas.

The Pens start a stretch tonight where they will play four games in the next six days. The team hasn’t used the same lineup for their 18-skaters and starting goalie in consecutive games, and figure to continue that streak for at least tonight with Brazeau looking to make his season debut and a few banged up players in Korczak and Malkin that might miss time.

The New York Islanders will have something of a salary war chest this summer, based on the upcoming salary cap increase to a projected $113.5 million.

New York's current cap hit is a shade above $102 million. 

The team has just over $27 million in expiring deals, with Ondrej Palat and Kyle Palmieri representing over $10 million of that alone.

If you do the math, it gives the Islanders a near-$40 million war chest for this summer to add major pieces throughout the lineup.

The question has and still remains what Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche will look to do with that money.

That's also only the minimum they'll have in space. Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield's contracts shift from full no-trade protection to each having a 16-team list.

The entire conversation changed at the end of last week.

Tampa Bay Lightning superstar forward, two-time Hart Trophy winner, two-time Stanley Cup Champion, and the Lightning's all-time leading scorer Nikita Kucherov requested a trade and announced he won't be extending with the Lightning.

It's a total earthquake for the entirety of the NHL, one that changes how the majority of teams may brace for the summer.

The Lightning released a statement publicly declaring they have zero intent to trade Kucherov, but the rumors are now there.

Immediately, it's easy to see the connection to the Islanders. Darche worked for the Lightning for six years and both of their Stanley Cups with Kucherov.

Kucherov, per reports, wants to play with another superstar. The Islanders have that in Matthew Schaefer.

Then, on Monday, Pierre LeBrun released his latest NHL Rumblings article for The Athletic.

LeBrun became the first major insider to link the Islanders directly to Kucherov.

"GM Mathieu Darche has a relationship with Kucherov from his Tampa days. I fully expect they will try to be a player from a July 1 perspective."

The Islanders were mentioned on a list with nine other teams, but as LeBrun noted, if Kucherov's available, there's 31 teams that want to be involved.

It's very important to note that LeBrun specifically states the Islanders will try, and a player be a player from a free agency perspective.

That's pretty specific wording, and it makes one think the Islanders won't be involved in any trade dialogue for the Russian star.

With how Darche has operated, keeping top prospects off limits in deals, along with the roster pieces and future draft capital, that would make sense.

If it gets to free agency, the Islanders can and likely will offer something of a blank check, while trying to convince Kucherov to join a team with Schaefer, superstar Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin, and stars Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.

Exactly one week after the Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1) ended their 10-game losing streak with a 6–5 overtime win, they’ll be facing the very team they smashed the streak against — the Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1). Vancouver’s last matchup saw them take a 4–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, while the Ducks put together a 6–3 win against the Ottawa Senators. 

One of the things the Canucks will want to watch out for in their rematch against the Ducks is Anaheim’s special teams. The Ducks’ power play currently sits at second in the NHL with a success rate of 34%, also having scored once in two opportunities against Vancouver. Their penalty kill, which is notably in the bottom-half of the league at 76.4%, was effective against a stagnant Canucks power play last week. 

Faceoffs have been a slight issue for the Canucks as of late. Against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Vancouver won only 39% of their draws, resulting in their current season winning rate of 46.5% — ranking 28th in the NHL. Against Anaheim last week, Vancouver also recorded a sub-40% faceoff win rate, winning only 36.8% of their faceoffs. They’ve posted a faceoff winning percentage of 40% or lower six different times this season, also doingso against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37.7%), New York Islanders (40%), New York Rangers (38%), and Edmonton Oilers (40%). 

Players To Watch: 

Forward Elias Pettersson 

Elias Pettersson was one of a few Canucks that found fair offensive success against the Ducks in their matchup one week ago, logging two assists and nearly 25 minutes worth of ice time. While his six-game point-streak did come to an end on Saturday, Pettersson is still averaging a point per game to start the 2026–27 season. He has also performed well statistically against the Ducks throughout his career, putting up seven goals and 18 assists in 25 games.  

Jackson LaCombe

In Vancouver’s last matchup against the Ducks, defenceman Jackson LaCombe put together a three-assist effort, helping out on both of A.J. Greer’s goals as well as one scored by Jeff Malott. The defenceman currently sits at second in scoring on Anaheim with a total of 15 points in 14 games and is their outright leader in TOI with an average of 26:45 minutes played per game — nearly six minutes more than the next player, Tristan Luneau.    

Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 4–12–16

Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 6–7–13

Brock Boeser: 5–8–13

Filip Hronek: 1–11–12

Linus Karlsson: 3–6–9

Goaltenders: 

Leevi Meriläinen: 2–5–1

Kevin Lankinen: 1–7–0

Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1): 

Points: 

Leo Carlsson: 4–17–21

Jackson LaCombe: 1–14–15

Beckett Sennecke: 8–4–12

Cutter Gauthier: 7–5–12

Mikael Granlund: 3–7–10 

Goaltenders: 

Lukáš Dostál: 4–4–1

Laurent Broissoit: 1–0–0

Ville Husso: 1–3–0

Game Information: 

Start time: 7:00 pm PCT

Venue: Rogers Arena

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast 

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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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 7:00 PM.    

Colorado Avalanche - 9-5-1 - 19 Points - Won 3 - 2nd in the Central

Columbus Blue Jackets - 5-7-0 - 10 Points - Lost 2 - 7th in the Metro

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Zach Werenski has 3-5-8 in 18 career GP, including 1-3-4 in nine career home games against the club.
• Dmitri Voronkov has 0-2-2 in five career GP, tallying assists in both contests of 2024-25.
• Ryan Lomberg has 1-2-3 in 8 career GP, with a goal and an assist in his most recent game played against Colorado (1-1-2).
• Charlie Coyle has 12-15-27 with six multi-point efforts in 42 career GP and has points in eight of his past 10 contests against the club (3-7-10).
• Emil Andrae has 0-2-2 in three career GP, notching an assist in each of his past two games played against the Avalanche.

Blue Jackets Stats 

• Power Play - 12.9% - 29th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 73.0 - 22nd in the NHL
• Goals For - 28 - 32nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 39 - 7th in the NHL   

Avalanche Stats 

• Power Play - 20.0% - 18th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 93.5% - 1st in the NHL
• Goals For - 63 - 4th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 45 - 14th in the NHL

Series History vs.Avalanche           

• The Blue Jackets are 24-41-1-5 overall, and 12-19-1-3 at home vs. Colorado.  
• Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26. 
• Columbus has earned points in 11 of the last 20 games of the series overall (10-9-1).
• The Blue Jackets have posted wins in five of the last 10 games played against Colorado at Nationwide Arena (5-4-1).
• Columbus has gone 13-of-14 on the penalty kill in its last six games in the series at Nationwide Arena (92.8 pct.).
• The winning team has recorded four-plus goals in 10-straight meetings and in 14 of the past 15 overall.
• Each of the past nine outings have been determined by multiple goals with seven decided by three or more.
• Both teams have earned five wins when playing past regulation in the all- time series.

Who To Watch For TheAvalanche        

• Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs with 25 points. 
• Artturi Lehkonen leads the team with 12 goals. 
• Scott Wedgewood is 1-2-1 and his last start was on 10-25.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 12 Games Missed

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 36

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)

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Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly still big-game hunting, in hopes of adding some scoring depth, and according to many of the NHL insiders, have approached the Detroit Red Wings about Dylan Larkin, but according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, it is not likely that the disgruntled center will include the Sabres on his list of preferred destinations.    

Larkin, who was a teammate of the Sabres leading scorer, Tage Thompson, on Team USA’s gold medal-winning Olympic squad, requested a trade from the Wings after the season and provided them a very narrow three-team trade list, which has recently been broadened to 10 teams. The Sabres, according to both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, have expressed interest in Larkin, along with another Atlantic Division rival, the Montreal Canadiens.

Friedman indicated on Saturday that Larkin and agent Pat Brisson may alter the 10-team list (Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington), to take teams like the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Avalanche off, who cannot offer the Wings an acceptable deal, and possibly add others to the list. 

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Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Larkin, in spite of reports of some flexibility, is not willing to add some teams that he does not want to play for, who might be willing to offer an acceptable package to Detroit. 

“All indications are that Buffalo is a no-go,” Dreger said.  

The Sabres appear to have the right ingredients for a Larkin trade, as the Wings reportedly are looking for young centers, and Buffalo has them in abundance in Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Jiri Kulich, but there are still some roadblocks from players with no-trade protection, in spite of the Sabres snapping their 15-year playoff drought and making it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo