The Buffalo Sabres road to repeating as an Eastern Conference playoff team this season appeared challenging, not only because of the departure of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram would put more onus on the Sabres youngsters being able to fill the void, but also because a number of clubs looked to be better on paper. After two weeks, some of those teams are proving that evaluation is closer to reality.
The Florida Panthers, who the Sabres will host on Monday afternoon in the finale of their five-game homestand, are an unbeaten 2-0-2 and second in the Atlantic, in spite of losing team captain Aleksander Barkov and veteran winger Brad Marchand to injury.
The Ottawa Senators are tied for the lead in the Atlantic with a 3-1 record, which is somewhat surprising after the departure of Brady Tkachuk, but newcomer William Eklund suffered a severe ankle injury in a 2-1 win over Philadelphia that is expected to keep him out an extended period, while Tampa Bay is 3-1 after a 3-2 victory over Minnesota on Thursday with backup Dennis Hildeby making 34 saves.
Boston has started strong with a 3-2-0 record and throttled the Sabres opponent on Saturday, the Utah Mammoth, 6-0 at TD Garden on Thursday, while the Toronto Maple Leafs stole a point against the Vegas Golden Knights, thanks to a 40 save performance from Sergei Bobrovsky. The Leafs are 2-2-1 to start the season and Auston Matthews appears to be fully healthy for the first time in three years.
The big surprise is the New York Rangers, who lead the Metro and the East with a 4-1-0 record. The Montreal Canadiens are surprisingly struggling at 1-2-1 and are behind the Sabres by a point, and will have to battle the next month without star forward Ivan Demidov. Buffalo has two more games on their five-game homestand before finishing October with seven of the next eight games on the road.
What occurred last year, when Buffalo was in last place in the East in early December and finished atop the Atlantic Division is not likely to be repeated. The Sabres will need to stay within range early in the season to remain in the mix for the postseason.
The Senators may be getting one injured forward back just as they lose another for an extended period.
Following Friday's practice, Travis Green provided some encouraging news on Andre Burakovsky, who's getting close to making his Senators debut. The veteran winger could potentially return to the lineup as early as Saturday as the Nashville Predators visit.
Unfortunately, the news wasn't nearly as positive for William Eklund.
Jake Sanderson, who scored the winning goal on Thursday, talks about the 2-1 with over Philadelphia (Senatos YouTube).
The Senators confirmed that Eklund suffered an ankle injury in Thursday night's 2-1 home-opening victory over the Philadelphia Flyers and will be sidelined for an extended period.
Eklund was injured in the first period after a hit from Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit and awkwardly jamming his skate hard into the base of the boards. He needed assistance getting off the ice and was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
It's a disappointing development for the 24-year-old, who was just beginning to settle into his new surroundings. Acquired from the San Jose Sharks during the offseason, Eklund was expected to be a major contributor to the Senators' top six this season.
With Eklund now out of the picture for the foreseeable future, Burakovsky's potential return couldn't come at a better time. Whether he's ready to play Saturday remains to be seen, but the fact that it's a possibility is certainly encouraging.
Enforcer Kurtis MacDermid was also back on the ice after missing much of camp and the early part of the season.
On the other hand, defenceman Artem Zub was not out there on Friday as he continues working toward his return. Zub has yet to make his regular-season debut after dealing with an injury dating back to last April. He opted for rehab, which has turned out to be an extended one, and it remains to be seen whether that was the right choice.
There were also a couple of other interesting notes at practice.
Defenceman Hoyt Stanley is still here, while Cameron Crotty (illness) was not at practice.
Crotty has been pressed into service early in the season because of the injuries to Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub and has provided some steady minutes in a depth role. But since he was sick, Stanley was called up from Belleville in the middle of the day on Thursday, giving the Senators another option as they figure themselves out, health-wise.
Sanderson has been sidelined since suffering an injury in the season opener against Toronto, Zub has yet to play, and Crotty is sick. Now Eklund faces a lengthy absence.
For a team that has already had to make a bunch of lineup adjustments, getting some healthy bodies back can't happen soon enough.
New Jersey Devils forward Stefan Noesen has cleared waivers after being placed on Thursday afternoon.
The 33-year-old appeared in the Devils’ first two games of the 2026-27 season, averaging 7:24 of ice time per game. He was recently removed from the lineup in favor of 27-year-old Jesper Boqvist.
Noesen, a first-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, has recorded 83 goals and 175 points in 484 career NHL games. His 2025-26 campaign was limited to 38 games because of injury during which he registered three goals and seven points.
The winger enjoyed a career-best season in 2024-25 with New Jersey, scoring 22 goals and recording 41 points.
Noesen returned to New Jersey in July 2024, signing a three-year contract worth $8.25 million, carrying an average annual value of $2.75 million. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Throughout his NHL career, Noesen has played for the Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Devils. He also won the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League in 2022.
With Noesen clearing waivers, the organization announced they loaned him to the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.
The Comets are scheduled to host their home opener Saturday night against the Rochester Americans at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Utica enters the matchup with a 1-0-0-0 record after defeating the Providence Bruins in its season opener on October 2.
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It’s common knowledge that the Vancouver Canucks are taking this year to focus on development. That’s why some of the scores from their first five games of the season aren’t necessarily being received negatively. What has been noticeable, however, is the volume of penalties the Canucks have been taking since the start of the 2026–27 season.
In comparison to the rest of the NHL, Vancouver has taken a total of 20 minor penalties — 22 total penalties when including fights and misconducts. Only the Montréal Canadiens (21), Utah Mammoth (21), New York Rangers (21), Philadelphia Flyers (21), Ottawa Senators (22), and Carolina Hurricanes (25) have taken more minor penalties. They’re currently averaging 4.37 penalties taken per 60 minutes.
A closer look at the numbers shows that the Canucks have not taken less than three minor penalties in a single game to start the 2026–27 season. In their 9–7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and their 3–2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver took five penalties each game and played short-handed for 6:48 and 7:53 minutes respectively. Four of the 10 combined penalties they took in these two games were interference penalties.
Taking penalties feels pretty standard for so early in the season, and in looking at Vancouver’s previous season totals, the numbers aren’t actually that different. The Canucks actually played in more penalty-killing time last season (30:03) than they have this year (27:21). The issue this year is when, exactly, Vancouver has been taking these penalties.
In Vancouver’s first game of the 2026–27 season, a 6–5 overtime win against the Oilers, Linus Karlsson took a high-sticking call with around two minutes left in the third period and Edmonton down by only one goal. The Oilers ended up converting on the opportunity to send the game to overtime. Granted, the call on Karlsson was a little soft, and Vancouver went on to win — but the point still stands.
In their next game against the Oilers, during the third period, Vancouver’s offence heated up, cutting what was initially an 8–3 deficit down to 8–6. The Canucks’ sixth goal came on the power play, capping off a three-goal onslaught that massively swung momentum into Vancouver’s favour.
Less than a minute after Vancouver’s sixth goal, Marco Rossi took an interference penalty that put the Canucks on the penalty kill, taking away the advantage they’d managed to carve out with their possession time. Leon Draisaitl went on to score the Oilers’ ninth goal to put the game away.
Aside from Vancouver’s 4–1 win against the Calgary Flames, the pattern of taking penalties in untimely situations continues. Against Vegas, the Canucks ate into what could have been valuable O-zone time by taking back-to-back penalties after having their own power play in the first period. Given their opponents’ ability to hold onto the puck, establishing more possession time after their first power play could have made the difference in a win or a loss.
A similar situation occurred in Thursday’s 7–2 loss to the Hurricanes. Early in the first period, Vancouver earned an early power play three minutes into the game. Though, once their power play expired, Drew O’Connor took a tripping penalty that awarded the Hurricanes the advantage instead. After Andrei Svechnikov scored on that power play, as well as the penalty taken less than five minutes later, Vancouver found themselves in a 3–0 hole that they were never able to climb out of.
Taking penalties is a big part of the game. Oftentimes, the timeliness of them can be the difference between a win and a loss. For Vancouver, this is an issue they’ll want to sort out sooner, while they’re still in ‘rebuild mode’, rather than later.
Oct 8, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes left wing Eric Robinson (50) skates with the puck past Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson (94) during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
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Beginning the regular season at 2-2 is not catastrophic for the Buffalo Sabres, but the club is showing some similar traits to teams of recent past that did not achieve success. Through four games, the Sabres have played spotty inconsistent hockey, have not received strong goaltending from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, and have been woeful with the man advantage.
In the 4-0 loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday, Buffalo was 0 for 3 on the power play, and so far this season, they are the only club in the NHL who does not have a goal with the man advantage (0 for 13). This is not shocking, because the Sabres have traditionally been weak on the power play, in spite of having top offensive performers in Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson.
Three years ago, Buffalo had a 16.6% effective rate on the power play (29th overall), two years ago, it was 18.8% (24th overall), and last season it was 19.5% (21st overall). In their first year under Lindy Ruff, the Sabres went 0 for 22 on the man advantage. This season, the group has started 0 for 13, and Ruff has already tinkered with the personnel on the first power play group, subbing in Noah Ostlund for Josh Doan, but they to this point have had no success.
"We obviously made some changes. We had a couple of great opportunities. I mean, our first power play wasn't any good. I'm not going to try to disguise that. Our second one, we had Benson all alone in front of the net, and you get a couple whacks. You got to put that in the back of the net. (Thompson) had one right in the slot that, normally, he finds a hole." Ruff said. "I think (we're) squeezing the sticks a little bit. We had some guys that abnormally didn't handle a puck very well, and that really hurt us."
Buffalo are 2-1 on their five-game homestand, and take on the offensively gifted Utah Mammoth on Saturday and the Florida Panthers on a Columbus Day matinee.
On Thursday night in New York, the Chicago Blackhawks were defeated by the New York Islanders. There is some debate online about the type of loss it was, but the fact is that the Blackhawks played an okay hockey game. They were on the losing end, mostly because the goalie on the other side gave them nothing.
One of the key stories that followed was the hit that Frank Nazar laid on Islanders forward Bo Horvat. It earned Nazar a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct for an illegal check to the head.
Frank Nazar’s hit here earned him a five minute major.
Many wondered if Nazar would be hearing from the league about this, and we have an answer. On Friday morning, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced that Nazar would have a hearing.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar will have a hearing today for an illegal check to the head against NY Islanders’ Bo Horvat.
There is going to be some sort of fine or suspension for this play. If there wasn't going to be anything, he wouldn't have a hearing.
After Nazar made the hit, he stopped and clearly had regret on his face. He did not mean to cause any harm to Horvat, and he has no history of being a dirty player in the NHL. Still, when they conclude what punishment is needed, he will have to take it.
The announcement of their decision will likely come later on Friday night or on Saturday at some point. The Blackhawks are back in Chicago ahead of their Saturday night game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
If Nazar is suspended and Teuvo Teravainen can't suit up, a call-up may be needed. With Dominic Toninato already up, Landon Slaggert may be next in line.
As soon as the NHL Department of Player Safety announces its decision, we will have more on that and the fallout.
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The strengths of the Senators can be categorized into three main pillars: 1) their quality of young centre depth; 2) their defensive structure; and 3) the quality of their blue line.
I want to focus on the latter.
When healthy, the Senators have one of the best and deepest blue lines in the league.
Carter Yakemchuk talked about the Senators' home opening 2-1 win over Philadelphia on Thursday (Senators YouTube).
That may sound strange, given it is an unconventional group. Their top four doesn't feature big, strapping, physically imposing players that were hallmarks of the game from the 1990s through the 2010s.
The Senators have a modernized group that can skate, close and move the puck efficiently.
“It's the way everybody can skate,” Thomas Chabot explained. “We try to take advantage of that year after year. Obviously it's a fast league, and there's not much time out there. The way everybody can move keeps us from giving the other team time and space to gain our blue line or gain the red line.
“We force teams to have no space, so when they get to the red line, they have to put it behind you, and from there we all have good skills. We can break the puck out, and our forwards play a very good system of coming back low and supporting each other. Ask any top-six forward in the NHL, and they'll never want to dump the puck in.
"They want to come in, make some plays, and create offence off the rush, and that's what we try to eliminate. Anytime you get them to dump the puck in, then it becomes frustrating to play against, and then that's exactly our goal.”
The process certainly worked last season as the Senators finished the season ranked tenth in the league for collective points produced by blue liners (193). The Senators also posted some of the league's best five-on-five defensive metrics, per Natural Stat Trick.
Percentage of shots for (CF%): 52.85, 5th
Percentage of shots on goal (SF%): 54.08, 4th
Percentage of total goals for (GF%): 52.34, 11th
Percentage of expected goals for (xGF%): 54.54, 3rd
Rate of shots allowed (CA/60): 51.85, 3rd
Rate of shots on goal allowed (SA/60): 23.37, 3rd
Rate of expected goals allowed (xGA/60): 2.32, 3rd
The numbers speak for themselves, and the Senators returned their entire blue line, except for Nick Jensen. The group is headlined by Jake Sanderson, one of the best two-way defencemen in the league and a viable Norris Trophy candidate. Artem Zub is one of the best analytical defensive defencemen in the game, and Jordan Spence has taken Jensen’s spot in the top-four alongside the veteran puck-moving Thomas Chabot.
Tyler Kleven and Nik Matinpalo stand in contrast to the rest of the group. Although both skate well, their size creates a different wrinkle: they can assert themselves physically or use their reach advantage to disrupt plays.
Carter Yakemchuk is the wild card.
The high-upside defender was the seventh overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he has already showcased the offensive aptitude that made him such a desirable pick.
In eight career NHL games, Yakemchuk has contributed two goals and six points, including the game-winner in last night’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
For a blue line that is already incredibly strong, his development and progress could catapult this group into being the best in the NHL.
Chabot is clearly excited about the Yakemchuk's potential impact as he develops,
“It's unreal,” Chabot said. “If you look at all the teams that win Stanley Cups, if you look at their back end, everybody plays a ton of minutes, and the ice time is spread out.
“Defence wins games. We've seen it through a lot of the times last year when we end up winning games two or three one, and you give up 12 to 15 shots, you make life easier for your goalies. And usually, it means you're not giving up many Grade A scoring chances. The more we can all spread the work and be a really solid back end, it will give ourselves a chance every single night to win.”
Thursday night’s game-winning goal was the perfect example of what Yakemchuk can bring to the table. Although Tyler Kleven, who possessed the hardest recorded in-game shot last season, can bring the heat, nobody else on the Senators poses the threat from the top of the blue line that Yakemchuk does.
And for a power play that tends to pass it around on the outside looking for the perfect bumper play or chances down low, Yakemchuk’s shot can help keep the opposition honest.
Over a small sample size, that success has been there, but the coaching staff has done a phenomenal job insulating Yakemchuk. Although he has averaged 16:10 of ice time through four games this season alongside Tyler Kleven, no player on the Senators has a higher percentage of offensive zone starts (69.70) than the rookie.
That usage is because Yakemchuk, like any young defenceman finding his way in the league, has warts in his defensive game. The hope is that, in time, his experience and maturity will help with his defensive reads, pivots, and gap control.
After an offseason in which he worked hard to improve his fitness and skating, Yakemchuk fulfilled his goal of making the opening roster, but he recognizes there will be ups and downs this season.
Part of that will be finding that delicate balance of recognizing that not every play he makes needs to be a home run.
“Even in Belleville last year, there were times I struggled with (that balance) every shift,” Yakemchuk admitted. “I want to make a difference or make a big play, but I just need to let the game come to me and focus on the defensive side first, and then the offence takes care of itself.”
Chabot emphasized that every young, offensive defenceman has to go through this process.
“That's the biggest learning curve because you come from junior or wherever you are, and you're usually the best players by far on the ice,” he stated. “You get away with more things. Whereas here, you make one little sneaky play that becomes a turnover, and usually ends up in the back of your net because you’re in the NHL.
“It's just learning those things, and I think (Yakemchuk’s) done a hell of a job. (Travis Green) and (Nolan Baumgartner) are there for him too to help him learn, go through those learning curves, and so are we. It’s important to help him out and support him as best we can.”
It is that recognition of responsibility that makes Chabot such an important figure in Yakemchuk’s first year as a regular.
“That's what we got to do as older guys on the team is support him through it,” Chabot acknowledged. “He's done really well, but it's through 84 games of doing the same thing over and over again, and we've all been through it. We know how hard it is to do it the first time.
“The good thing for him is he's got Jake (Sanderson). He has guys in front of him that he doesn't have to go out there and be the only guy to do it. We can all do it as a group and support him. Obviously, I'm 29 years old, and some nights you're gonna have shitty games. That's just life. But you're there for the young guy. You want to support him every night. You want him to be free and go out there and do his thing.”
After the game, Yakemchuk was asked whether he got all of it on his game-winner.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said through a laugh.
The Senators will have to support Yakemchuk throughout the year to ensure that they get all of it - the positive development that could launch an already talented back end to one of the preeminent groups in the NHL.
The Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Brett Berard this off-season. However, Trudeau is now with the Nashville Predators, as they claimed him off waivers from New York before the start of the season.
Trudeau never played a game for Montreal, as he spent his entire time with the organization with the AHL's Laval Rocket. However, he played his first game against Montreal on Thursday night for the Predators.
Unfortunately, Trudeau's first game in his hometown came to an early end.
Trudeau only played the first period of the Predators' matchup against the Canadiens before being ruled out for the contest with an upper-body injury. This was certainly not how Trudeau wanted his return to Montreal to go.
With Trudeau looking to prove that he is ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman, he will be hoping that this injury does not force him to miss much time. The former Canadiens prospect has been getting his first chance at the NHL level this year for the Predators, so the timing of this injury is unfortunate.
In three games this season for Nashville, Trudeau has zero points, three hits, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he posted eight goals, 20 points, 54 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in 62 games for Laval during this past season.
The Detroit Red Wings return to action Friday evening against the Seattle Kraken, giving forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård another chance to score his first NHL goal.
Brandsegg-Nygård led Detroit with six shots on goal in the Red Wings' 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week. He's still searching for that elusive first goal, but according to head coach Todd McLellan, it certainly isn't for a lack of trying.
In fact, according to McLellan, the idea is to take the pressure off the young forward rather than build it up.
"We enforce the things he's doing well, but we don't want to convolute him with, 'Hey, if you do this, you're gonna score'. He's getting his chances, he's got a good shot, and it'll go in eventually," McLellan said following the club's skate on Friday morning. "He'll get rewarded. But we're not going to - we'd prefer to take the pressure off him rather than put it on him.
He's still a young fella, and he's been real effective up to this point. I have no complaints about his game; it'll go in for him."
Brandsegg-Nygård, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2024 NHL Draft, was one of the best players for the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins during the Calder Cup Playoffs in the spring.
For the second straight year, he made the most of his opportunity in Red Wings Training Camp and the preseason, earning a roster spot.
With the loss of veterans like Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk, along with current injuries to players like J.T. Compher, Mason Appleton, and Marco Kasper, Brandsegg-Nygård will be looked upon to play a bigger role in the forward units.
But that doesn't mean he'll be pressured to do so. The reason he's on the roster is because the team sees his talent, and believes he can help them.
Brandsegg-Nygård and the Red Wings will drop the puck against the Kraken at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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The Colorado Avalanche are off to a historic start to the 2026-27 season.
Through their first four games, the Avalanche have scored an astonishing 23 goals while posting a 3-1 record. That puts them in rare company, as no team had scored that many goals through four games to open a season since the 1993-94 Los Angeles Kings, who were led by Wayne Gretzky and head coach Barry Melrose.
Wayne Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL goals record during the 1993-94 season, a mark later surpassed by Alex Ovechkin. Credit: Robert Hanashiro - USA Today
Despite Gretzky putting together a league-leading 130-point campaign that season, the Kings struggled to find consistent success, finishing with a 27-45-12 record. Colorado will be hoping its own offensive explosion leads to a much different outcome.
Cale Makar following Colorado's 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues
With another Stanley Cup firmly in their sights, the Avalanche have championship aspirations that go well beyond a hot start. Their early production is an encouraging sign, and forward T.J. Hughes believes the talent throughout the locker room is a major reason for the team's success.
"Just the talent, the IQ in this room, and then guys just bearing down (and) scoring," Hughes said. "I know it's early. So got to keep that up and try to get the scoring touch with everyone, but I would just say the talent overall in the group, everyone's just so good."
Hughes is also beginning to make his own mark at the NHL level. At 6:34 of the third period against Calgary, with Colorado already holding a commanding 6-1 lead, he recorded the first point of his NHL career. After receiving a pass from Brett Kulak, Hughes quickly found Jaden Schwartz in the slot, where Schwartz buried the chance to extend the Avalanche's advantage.
"It felt great," Hughes said. "Great pass to me and then I saw (Schwartz) in the slot there and great shot by him."
The young forward also credited communication for the success of his line, which has found its rhythm despite having limited time to build chemistry together.
"I think just talking on the bench, a lot of communication," he explained. "I've never played with these two guys. Great players, but, like, takes time to get the chemistry. So yeah, a lot of communication, they're just reading off each other. So it's been working so far and it's gotta keep it up."
Hughes appears to be adjusting to the speed of the NHL with each passing game. While he looked a step behind at times in Colorado's season opener, he seems to be playing with more confidence and reacting more instinctively as he gains experience against top-level competition.
Avalanche Getting Contributions From Across the Lineup
Much of Colorado's early offensive production has come from its biggest names. Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with eight points, while Jaden Schwartz and Cale Makar have six apiece. Makar and Devon Toews both scored twice against Calgary, helping power Colorado to a convincing 7-3 victory.
MacKinnon's production isn't surprising, but the contributions from players like Parker Kelly and Toews show just how much offensive depth Colorado has. Kelly has recorded five points through four games, while Toews has already scored twice after waiting until Colorado's 25th game last season to find the back of the net for the first time.
Toews opened the scoring against Calgary at 15:54 of the first period, redirecting a pass from Makar past Flames goaltender Devin Cooley. After Calgary briefly tied the game, Toews struck again in the second period to restore Colorado's lead.
His second goal came on a wrist shot from the point that traveled through traffic and beat Cooley, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 advantage. Makar then added a goal of his own before MacKinnon extended the lead to 4-1. Makar scored again early in the third, and Schwartz's goal off Hughes' setup made it 6-1.
For Toews, the offensive outburst comes down to finding ways to help the team win and making the most of opportunities created by his teammates.
"Winning's fun. It's what you're trying to do," Toews said. "So anytime we help our team win is what we're going out there to do."
Toews also credited Makar for delivering the puck exactly where it needed to be, explaining that his job was to provide an option in front of the net and let his teammate make the decision.
"I'm trying to give him an option and allow him to pick and choose what he wants to do," Toews said. "So, yeah, really nice play by him."
Calgary managed to score twice in the third period to cut into Colorado's lead, but the Avalanche had already inflicted enough damage to secure the win and improve to 3-1 through four games.
Four games are a small sample, and maintaining this scoring pace over an entire season is a tall order. Still, Colorado has shown that its offensive firepower extends beyond its biggest stars. With MacKinnon and Makar leading the way, Toews producing from the blue line, and emerging contributors like Kelly and Hughes finding their footing, the Avalanche are getting results from throughout the lineup.
Their historic start has already caught attention. Now, the challenge is turning that early momentum into another deep Stanley Cup run.
(Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are still in the early stages of the 2026-27 NHL season, but there are some trends emerging that are worth paying attention to when it comes to the larger narrative of the season. Whether it’s gambles that paid off in free agency, prospects emerging, or teams languishing in the pain of the season already — there’s plenty to keep an eye on moving forward.
The New York Rangers have been an early surprise to kick off the year. Currently in 1st place in the Metropolitan Division, this team has some important wins already by beating the Utah Mammoth, a playoff-caliber team in the West — and, more surprisingly, a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, believed by many to have Stanley Cup potential out of the East.
The Rangers have been fantastic defensively, only allowing eight goals so far — good for 3rd in the NHL. It certainly helps when you have Igor Shesterkin in goal, but beyond that the defensive unit is just playing really solid hockey. The team has grown offensively through trading away Artemi Panarin, playing a more holistic game which includes more skaters. Alexis Lafrenière is beginning to show glimpses of the potential that made him a No. 1 overall pick, Mika Zibanejad is solid as ever, but the emergence of Gabriel Perreault is something to really focus on. Perreault has been fantastic to start the season, and if the Rangers have found themselves an elite top-line wing then this team has the potential to be a major surprise throughout the season.
Beyond the Rangers there are a handful of other developments to keep an eye on.
The Dallas Stars are WEIRD
This team made the bold choice of keeping the band together in the offseason by re-signing Jason Robertson to a one-year deal in an attempt to make a run, sacrificing their already waning depth in the process. So far it’s impossible to know what this team really is. They had convincing wins over the Sabres and Sharks, two solid teams who should be in the mix — but also dropped to the Predators and Blues, teams they should easily beat.
The key to the season is going to be whether or not those first two losses were rink rust, or if they’re indicative of the same inconsistency which has marred the Stars the last couple of seasons.
The East is going through a shakeup
It’s astonishing that already in this season we’re seeing the Canadiens and Flyers down at the bottom of the table. The Canadiens’ defense is atrocious, giving up 19 goals in four games — putting the team in positions where they just can’t win, even with prolific scoring nights.
Things for the Flyers are even worse, because they just can’t score a dang thing. Boasting only six goals in five games, the Flyers are the worst-scoring team in the league — slipping lower than last season, where they already struggled. There hasn’t been the offensive leap forward for Trevor Zegras or Matvei Mitchkov many hoped for, and now the defense is porous as well. It’s going to be a long season for the Flyers if this continues.
On the other side of the ledger, we have the aforementioned Rangers who are surging, but also the Senators, Capitals, and Islanders — all of whom have taken a step forward. It’s going to be fascinating to see whether or not these teams can keep pace.
Carolina’s goaltending problems continue
It’s early, but the defending champs have major goaltending issues oncemore. After famously making the switch to Brandon Bussi during the Stanley Cup finals, hopes were high that the Canes had finally found someone in the net who could make things happen.
Instead, it’s been an exceptionally ugly start to the year. Despite having a defense that has only allowed 105 shots in five games, Bussi’s save percentage is .851 with a 3.24 GAA. Backup Pyotr Kotchekov isn’t faring much better, also having a sub-.900 save percentage. This team has been able to overcome goaltending issues for the last several years, but it’s clear they need a major shakeup to hope to compete this season — because their hot goal scoring won’t last forever.
The Flames might be the worst team … ever
Nobody expected Calgary to be good this year, but the Flames are a disaster to start the season. Not only are they 0-4, but have a staggering -17 goal differential to kick off the year. Nothing is going right, as the Flames can’t score, can’t defend, can’t stop shots — can’t do anything really.
If this lingers into November it’s going to be time to start the “worst of all time” watch. That is held by the 1974-75 Washington Capitals, who went 8-67-5 with a -265 differential. The Flames are on pace for a -349.
The Maple Leafs have taken a tentative step forward
Plenty of time for them to screw this up, but right now things are looking pretty good for the Leafs *knock on wood*. They might only be 2-2-1, but they’re playing teams close and look more cohesive on both ends of the ice.
Jim Hiller was a questionable hire, but so far the former LA Kings coach has Toronto playing more organized hockey. Gavin McKenna is also well ahead of schedule with three points in five games, and playing with more confidence every time he hits the ice.
Realistically we may still be a couple of years from this team competing, but they look pretty good.
Harold Griffin, guitarist and songwriter for Long Island-based punk band Koyo, helps us kick off Season 6 of Weird Islanders by talking about distinguished defenseman Dennis Seidenberg’s odd path to the team.
Seidenberg was both unlikely and perfect for the Islanders at the same time. A Stanley Cup champion in Boston and as solid and respected a player on the ice as you’ll find anywhere, he suddenly found himself bought out of his contract at 34-years old. After a great showing for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, GM Garth Snow signed Seidenberg to a one-year contract just before training camp, one of the most Islanders-esque moves we’ve ever seen. It turns out the big German still had a lot in the tank and provided the young team with the same steady play he was already known for. Although injuries derailed his second season with the club, he found a new and very important role in a longstanding Islanders lineage: as landlord to one of the team’s up-and-coming stars.
Harold talks to us about how Long Island, the Islanders and sports have shaped him and his band, Koyo. We reminisce about Seidenberg’s short Islanders tenure, his surprisingly sick stat line of that first season, the Isles’ connections to the Bruins and the “New York Saints” spring of a few seasons later, and how Seidenberg has become one of the most Long Island-Weird Islanders ever. We also sneak a surprise extra Weird Islander in there, who even more surprisingly comes up again in our next episode!
Thanks again to Harold for coming on. We also have a Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode where he tells us about getting harassed by Canadians for wearing Islanders gear on stage and other observations from rock n’ roll touring. Check out Koyo on YouTube, Spotify, Bandcamp or wherever you get your music and see them on tour starting this December at Warsaw in Brooklyn.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Seidenberg’s first NHL goal came in his first NHL season for the Flyers against the team they would eventually trade him to, the Coyotes.
After stops in Carolina and Florida, he landed in Boston and had some great moments for the Bruins including this loooooong distance goal against Ottawa. One might say he specialized in goals from embarrassingly far away.
He didn’t score often for the Isles but it was possible. This was a nice one in a heartbreaker against the Habs at Barclays Center.
But the injuries became too much and a comeback for the 2018-19 season had to be shut down. He officially retired in October of 2019 (this article ignores his seasons spent on Long Island, naturally).
Seidenberg’s greatest contribution to the Islanders will always be acting as Mat Barzal’s landlord, a team tradition that continues to this day.
What makes a “Weird Islander?”
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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More reports surfaced Thursday on the Detroit Red Wings and the offers they have received for restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, as many as ten teams have contacted Detroit about the 23-year-old Swedish blueliner, who was the sixth overall pick in 2021. The Boston Bruins are among the clubs that have reached out.
LeBrun noted, as most reports have so far, that Detroit's preference is to re-sign Edvinsson. He added that the Red Wings have become flexible on term and are willing to offer whatever length Edvinsson prefers. The main obstacle is the annual cap hit, with LeBrun saying there is still "a sizeable gap" between the two sides.
David Pagnotta reported that several other teams have also inquired in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators.
It remains to be seen whether a deal can get done, but the longer Detroit waits, the more costly it could become to bring Edvinsson back. If a worthwhile offer lands on general manager Shawn Horcoff's desk, it could also push Detroit to move the defenseman.
Edvinsson is coming off a disappointing second season in which he recorded 25 points in 72 games, down from 31 points as a rookie, when he was expected to take a step forward.
The market may be anchored by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, who signed an eight-year deal carrying an annual cap hit of $9.38 million. That contract should be viewed as the baseline for Edvinsson's next deal, though the Red Wings may be trying to push back against it.
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LAS VEGAS — Sergei Bobrovsky did the job a team asks of its starting goalie on a night the scoreboard got away. He stopped 40 of 43 shots, held a three-goal lead that had already evaporated, and got the Toronto Maple Leafs to overtime and a shootout. Trevor Connelly finished it anyway. The rookie beat Bobrovsky with a backhand in the fifth round, and the Vegas Golden Knights completed a comeback from 3-0 for a 4-3 shootout win Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
Toronto leaves with a point and a 2-2-1 record. Vegas is 4-1-0. The Leafs were outshot 43-24, including 21-8 in the second period, and at five-on-five controlled only 42.7 percent of the shot attempts and 29.8 percent of the expected goals, 1.33 to 3.14, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. High-danger chances were 12-5 Vegas.
"It turned on Stone's goal late in the first," the Leafs head coach said. "We're in an offensive-zone faceoff. We're up 3-0. It's a tight game, playing pretty well to that point. And then we make a couple mistakes, and they score. And then we take a penalty, and all of a sudden the momentum shifts a little bit."
The lead had come in a rush. Jack Roslovic opened the scoring 34 seconds in, on his 600th career game and for his 300th career point, beating Adin Hill from the goal line with Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko assisting. Easton Cowan made it 2-0 at 3:20 on a breakaway set up by Chris Tanev. Nick Paul scored at 8:37, from Darren Raddysh and Gavin McKenna, and Toronto had three before the period was half over. Hill faced nine shots in the first and stopped six.
Mark Stone's slap shot at 17:36, from Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, started the climb back. Brett Howden cut it to 3-2 at 1:12 of the second, deflecting a Mitch Marner pass. Eichel tied it at 3:58 on a penalty shot after Morgan Rielly was called for tripping on a breakaway. Vegas did not score again until the shootout. It spent most of the middle 20 minutes looking as if it would.
"We just stopped playing direct, turned some pucks over coming out of our end in the neutral and sort of fed their transition game," Tanev said. "They're in Game 7 of the Cup Final last year for a reason. They're very well structured. It's amazing how players' cycles can take over a game, and he had the puck a lot, especially in the second period. Great start. Third was better for us. But sort of the last five, seven minutes of the first and the second period, we need to be better and help out Bob."
The penalty count made the territorial problem worse. Toronto took four minors, Gavin McKenna for hooking late in the first, Oliver Ekman-Larsson twice in the second, Bo Groulx for holding in the third, plus Rielly's penalty shot. Vegas had one, Mark Stone for slashing McKenna late in the second. The Leafs killed all four power plays. They did not look comfortable doing it.
"They have a good power play. We had a tough time," Hiller said. "We were desperate. We did a good job with it, but a tough time clearing it down the ice and getting fresh guys out there. So that was a tough second period, no matter how you slice it. But I give the guys credit. After two, in fact, we survived, in large part due to Bob. I thought we came back out in the third and actually played pretty well."
Tanev saw the same sequence from the kill.
"Good for the most part. We had that one really long shift. Bob made an amazing save and bailed us out," he said. "For the most part good. We still have some areas where we want to work on, but against a really good power play, so we'll take that."
He also tied the special-teams load to the momentum Stone's goal had already started.
Vegas goal!
Scored by Mark Stone with 02:24 left in the 1st. Assisted by Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
"When we take five penalties and they maybe have one, their skilled guys start to feel the puck. They get energized and sort of get them into the game as well."
The third period was quieter. Toronto was outshot 11-4, then 4-3 in overtime, and neither team scored. Faceoffs were a rare edge all night, 37-for-62, with Matthews at 71.4 percent. Hits went 27-13 to Vegas. Hill finished with 21 saves. Bobrovsky's .930 was the reason 3-3 still existed at the end of 65 minutes.
"He got us a point, for the most part. He gave us a chance to win, and ultimately, in the end, he probably got us a point, right? That's what great goalies do," Hiller said. "The nights when you're off a little bit, like we were in the second particularly, he was able to hold it for us. You need those saves, and you don't get them. They could have got three or four, and the game's over."
Cowan, who was on the ice for long stretches against Eichel's line, landed in the same place. "He kept us in the game for sure, especially that second period. So he was great all night." Tanev wanted the win that those saves had made available. "Huge saves, and he gave us a chance to win in overtime and the shootout. Obviously, we want to get a win for him badly."
The top six never settled into that kind of stability. The groups drawn up before the game were Marchenko with Matthews and Roslovic, and Cowan with John Tavares and William Nylander. Shift data told a different story. McKenna, Paul and Colton Sissons were the only forward trio used as a unit for a long stretch, about 8:12. Matthews spent 7:43 with Nylander and Roslovic and 6:42 with Marchenko and Roslovic. Cowan split time between Marchenko and Tavares (4:25) and Nylander and Tavares (3:50). The Matthews-Nylander-Roslovic look was out-attempted 13-7. The original first line was even at 7-7 and produced Roslovic's goal.
Hiller did not pretend the shuffling was a finished plan, as he’s still trying to find out what his top-six should look like.
"I would say, yeah, consistency across three players," he said, asked what he is still looking for in the top six. "Some players have been pretty consistent night after night, but as three at the same time, we're still looking for that."
Moving Nylander up was a spark attempt, that wasn’t exclusive to this game, but it clearly didn’t work.
"Just wasn't going very well at that point. So just something different. Try to change the vibe a little bit at different times,” Hiller said.
"I felt okay. First, not that good, and second, obviously there's a lot of penalties and stuff, so hard to get into it. That's how you get it. Sometimes you've got to learn to adjust and play. I thought the third was a bit better, but I would like to capitalize on some chances."
McKenna's night was the assist, a hooking minor, and a shootout miss on Toronto’s fourth attempt. Hiller said the attempt had been scheduled, not a low-pressure afterthought.
"He's good at shootouts, so didn't get it tonight, but he'll score plenty in his career."
McKenna has yet to be called on for 3-on-3 duty in Toronto’s two overtime games this season, but Hiller said it’s coming.
"He was up a couple different times, and situations kind of change themselves. He'll get out there sooner or later. If you ask him, I've probably called him three different times. But for whatever reasons, he hasn't been able to get out there."
Oliver Ekman-Larsson did not finish the night after a hit from Vegas’ Jeremy Lauzon, late in the third period.
"I think he's okay. I don't have an update on him. I've just heard a little bit, so I can't give you much on that."
He was clearer on the hit that took the defenceman out.
"I think there could have been a call." No explanation followed on the ice.
The Maple Leafs picked up a point in the standings but Bobrovsky is still searching for his first win for Toronto.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home tonight after a 5-day break to play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
Pittsburgh Penguins - 2-2-0 - 4 Points - Lost 2 - 4th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 1-1-0 - 2 Points - Lost 1 - 5th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets have played a league-low 2 games so far this season, and haven't played since October 3rd.
This is the first of two back-to-backs this month as they travel to St. Louis on Saturday.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has tallied 7-15-22 with four multi-point efforts in 38 career GP against Pittsburgh and has points in seven of his last nine games (3-5-8).
Conor Garland has picked up 3-4-7 in 13 career matchups vs. Pittsburgh with points in three of his past four matchups (1-2-3).
Sean Monahan has collected 6-9-15 in 27 career games against the Penguins, with points in four of his last five games (1-4-5) and 3-6-9 in his last 11 overall.
Dmitri Voronkov has tallied 6-1-7 in 11 career contests against Pittsburgh, with all points in his last seven games.
Zach Werenski has earned 6-12-18 in 25 career games vs. Pittsburgh, including points in three consecutive contests (2-3-5), as well as having 4-6-10 in his last eight matchups against the Penguins.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 40.0 - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 66.7% - 26th in the NHL
Goals For - 7 - 10th in the NHL
Goals Against - 7 - 5th in the NHL
Penguins Stats
Power Play - 30.8% - 10th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 90.0% - 6th in the NHL
Goals For - 18 - 3rd in the NHL
Goals Against - 13 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. ThePenguins
The Blue Jackets are 13-11-6 at home against Pittsburgh, and 20-30-11 all-time.
Columbus went 2-0-2 in 2025-26.
Columbus has earned points in four consecutive games against Pittsburgh (2-0-2), tying for the longest run of that kind in franchise history (2nd instance, other: 2/17/01 - 12/31/03, 2-0-2).
The Jackets have earned points in seven of the past eight games (5-1-2) and have earned points in nine of the last 13 contests in the overall series (6-4-3).
15 of the last 17 games in the overall series have seen the winning team score 4-plus goals (including SO goals).
Who To Watch For ThePenguins
Tommy Novak leads the team with 5 points.
Sidney Crosby has 0 goals and 2 assists.
Erik Karlsson leads the Pens with 4 assists.
Artūrs Šilovs is 2-1 with an .859 SV%.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 2 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 2 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 2 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 10
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)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7 PM.
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