The Chicago Blackhawks are on the road for their first of four matchups this season against the St. Louis Blues. This is a one-game road trip as they’ll come right back home for a couple of games. 

The Blackhawks enter this game 1-2-1 after earning their first win on Monday night against the Utah Mammoth. St. Louis is 2-1-0 through three games played. 

Scouting St. Louis

The St. Louis Blues got hot at the end of last season and ended up making it to the playoffs as a wild-card team. This year, they come in with expectations to be a playoff team once again. 

Joel Hofer is the projected starting goaltender for the Blues in this game, meaning that their star goalie Jordan Binnington will be the backup. This is how the skaters project to line up in front of Hofer:

Neighbours-Thomas-Buchnevich

Holloway-Schenn-Kyrou

Joseph-Suter-Snuggerud

Texier-Bjugstad-Walker

Fowler-Parayko

Tucker-Faulk

Broberg-Mailloux

Robert Thomas is the driver of St. Louis's offense, and Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours, and Braden Schenn help provide the secondary scoring. 

Then there is Jimmy Snuggerud, who played with Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel at the University of Minnesota. His ability to produce offense is high-level, and he won't be in their bottom six for very long. 

On defense, they are deep. Cam Fowler came over in a trade last season, and he's paired with Colton Parayko. Having a guy like Philip Broberg on the third pair speaks to their depth beyond that great top pair. 

Nick Foligno

On Wednesday morning, the Blackhawks and Nick Foligno announced that he'd be taking a brief leave of absence to be with his daughter, who is having a follow-up surgery related to her congenital heart disease. 

Blackhawks Captain Nick Foligno To Take Leave Of AbsenceBlackhawks captain Nick Foligno is taking a leave of absence to be with his daughter for surgery.

Projected Blackhawks Lineup

For the second time this season, Arvid Soderblom is going to start for Chicago. He played well in the overtime loss to the Boston Bruins last week, and now he comes into this game looking for his first win of the season. In front of him, the Blackhawks will skate like this:

Dach-Bedard-Burakovsky

Teravainen-Nazar-Bertuzzi

Donato-Dickinson-Mikheyev

Greene-Reichel

Vlasic-Rinzel

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Kaiser-Levshunov

Crevier

After the last game against the Mammoth, Jeff Blashill said that they will go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen a lot this season. He described it as a great way to go about things with so many young blue-liners on the roster. With some of them, you never know what kind of night it's going to be for them, so it's better to have extra. 

Levshunov drew back into the lineup against the Mammoth and had a good game. When he's playing well, all seven of these guys have a case to be dressed. 

Going 11/7 is also a way of getting guys like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar extra touches with double shifts. Reichel is in the lineup in favor of Sam Lafferty, who is a healthy scratch. The top three lines have been consistent for a couple of games in a row. 

How To Watch

This game is a national broadcast, as part of TNT's doubleheader. It follows their broadcast of the Florida Panthers vs the Detroit Red Wings, which will start just after 6 PM. The Chicago Blackhawks vs the St. Louis Blues is expected to start at 8:52 PM. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

The Florida Panthers claimed defenseman Donovan Sebrango off NHL waivers from the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.

Sebrango, a 23-year-old who grew up in Eastern Ontario, played two games for the Senators to start this season while fellow left-handed blueliner Tyler Kleven was injured. Sebrango recorded a fight, one hit and one shot while averaging 15:14 of ice time. He also played his first two NHL games last season, but he's yet to record a point.

Last season on the AHL's Belleville Senators, Sebrango had eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points. He brings speed and feistiness to his game.

For the Panthers, Sebrango's arrival comes after defenseman Dmitry Kulikov underwent surgery to repair a labral tear. He'll be out of the lineup for about five months.

Sebrango gives the team another option for the third pair. Uvis Balinskis currently fills that role on the left side – he had 18 points, 83 hits and 55 blocked shots in 76 games last season.

If the Panthers place Sebrango on waivers again, the Senators can try to claim him back. If they do that and no other team submits a claim, the Sens will not only acquire him but be able to assign him to AHL Belleville.

As for other NHL waiver news, San Jose Sharks left winger Egor Afanasyev cleared the wire and can go to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda. The 24-year-old last played in the NHL in 2024 with the Nashville Predators. He has one goal in 19 games and put up 21 points in 53 KHL games last season.

On the waiver wire until Thursday at 2 p.m. ET is Washington Capitals defenseman Vincent Iorio. The 22-year-old had 20 points in 67 games for the Hershey Bears last year. In nine career NHL games, Iorio has one assist.

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Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov will miss the next five months as he recovers from surgery to repair a labral tear. 

The 34-year-old exited the Panthers' second game of the season on Oct. 9 after crashing into the boards. The veteran played just 7:47 against the Philadelphia Flyers before the collision.

“He had surgery this morning to repair a labral tear,” coach Paul Maurice said. “He’ll be out five months.”

Kulikov now joins a list consisting of Aleksander Barkov, Tomas Nosek and Matthew Tkachuk of Panthers players dealing with long-term injuries. Kulikov is the first, and hopefully the only, defenseman dealing with a long-term injury. The veteran blueliner skates on the third pairing at 5-on-5, but he is a key figure on the Panthers' penalty kill. 

Replacing him in the previous two games was Uvis Balinskis. The 29-year-old skated in 76 games last season, but it wasn't always smooth sailing on the third pairing. Through two games, Balinskis and his partner, Jeff Petry, have struggled at 5-on-5.

“He is unique in his role, he’s an excellent penalty killer, physical player in the 5-6, but he can skate and close gaps, so that’s the hole (that needs to be filled). Uvis (Balinskis) played 76 games for us last year, so we’ll put in a veteran player whose played here,” said Maurice. 

It's another key player who needs to be replaced, but the Panthers are sticking to the 'next man up' mindset.

"It’s the same concept, you don’t replace these guys that we have out of the lineup, but the weight doesn’t get heavier, you just have fewer guys to lift, right? Everybody shares it," said the Panthers' bench boss. "We have full expectation of Uvis playing the game that he’s capable of playing; he doesn’t get any room not to, but that’s a positive for us. We think we’re putting in a guy who's very capable."

Tobias Bjornfot was also recalled by the Panthers over the weekend, brought up as additional depth in case another Panthers defenseman suffers an injury. The 24-year-old hasn't been able to lock down a full-time NHL role just yet, but he's accumulated well over 100 games of NHL experience (134).

The Panthers are back in action tonight against the Detroit Red Wings for the second of five games on their current road trip.

The Florida Panthers will have a different look when they take the ice on Wednesday in Detroit.

Fresh off the team’s first loss of the young season, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice made a tweak to his forward lines.

It’s not uncommon for Maurice to move around his lines during the regular season to test out players in different spots with different linemates, as it helps gain understanding of which combinations work better in certain situations.

When the Panthers took the ice for their morning skate at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, second-year sniper Mackie Samoskevich skated on Florida’s top line, next to Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand.

As Maurice explained, having a player like Bennett who is so good with mentoring young guys, it makes it much easier to move a younger forward up in the lineup.

“When you get a young guy, especially if he’s a winger, you need a veteran player that wants to play with him,” Maurice said. “And Sam Bennett likes playing him because Mackie can skate with him, he can shoot the puck and he can make plays. Benny likes that speed with him.”

Carter Verhaeghe, who previously skated on the top unit, took Samoskevich’s spot on a line with Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist.

So far this season, Samoskevich has made the most of his new opportunities.

He’s been a main component of Florida’s second power play unit, with two of his three points so far this season coming while the Cats were on the man advantage.

Last season, Samoskevich played in 72 regular season games for Florida, racking up 15 goals and 31 points, before seeing his playing time limited to only four games during the heavier Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This year, the 22-year-old is looking to further establish himself as not only an everyday NHL player but one who can be counted on to produce similarly to how he’s performed throughout his playing career.

“We’ve got a fairly deep team here,” Maurice said. “If he was on a lot of the organizations that are maybe on a different part of their rebuild, he would’ve been playing bigger minutes in the NHL and putting up numbers and people would appreciate how good he is. He’s going to get that chance now.

“He’s ready for it. He’s fit, he’s strong, he’s fast, he understands our game. I know he’s a young guy but we don’t view him as that. He’s had enough training here to be good.”

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Photo caption: Oct 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (11) celebrates a goal against the Ottawa Senators during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

The Calder race, featuring standout names such as Montreal's Ivan Demidov and New York's top prospect Matthew Schaefer, also includes strong contenders from the Detroit Red Wings, three of them to be exact.

The rookie trio of Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård have all emerged as notable prospects, each making a strong early impression with the rookie of the year award faintly within sight.

Of the three, Finnie appears the most likely contender as the 20-year-old winger has earned a spot on Detroit’s top line alongside stars Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in a move that’s already paying off. Finnie has recorded two assists in his first three games, nearly producing at a point-per-game pace with the Lethbridge, Alberta native listed with +8000 odds to win the Calder.

Finntastic pic.twitter.com/IbcVnhPAY2

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 12, 2025

Finnie currently trails behind early standouts such as Minnesota’s Zeev Buium and Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke, who have notched five and four points respectively to start the season but Finnie is still in the conversation. His spot on Detroit’s top line gives him a steady opportunity to rack up points, something that can’t be said for all of his rookie counterparts, many of whom find themselves in less favorable roles.

In this piece, we’ll examine the potential weaknesses in the cases of other Calder Trophy hopefuls and explore how Finnie could strengthen his own bid for the award. Circumstances will undoubtedly evolve as the season progresses, but as of today, this is how the landscape stands for some rookies.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Exclusive: Red Wings Prospect Emmitt Finnie Talks NHL Aspirations, Bond with Nate Danielson<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Red Wings</a> breakout prospect Emmitt Finnie breaks down off-season plans, future goals and growing up with fellow prospect <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings/latest-news/exclusive-red-wings-prospect-nate-danielson-focused-on-cracking-nhl-roster">Nate Danielson</a> in an exclusive interview with <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">The Hockey News</a>.

Closest Comparables To Finnie's Situation

Matthew Schaefer (NYI) : The rookie defenseman has taken on a significant workload early in the season for the Islanders, leading the team in ice time through his first three games. While Lane Hutson broke through last year as the first defenseman to win the Calder since Detroit’s Moritz Seider in 2022, history isn’t on Schaefer’s side. No blueliner has claimed the award in back-to-back seasons since 1963 and 1964, when Toronto’s Kent Douglas and Montreal’s Jacques Laperrière achieved the rare feat, the only consecutive defenseman wins in Calder Trophy history. 

Beckett Sennecke (ANA) : He’s earning top-six minutes with the Ducks, skating alongside promising young talents Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier, a line that gives him plenty of offensive opportunity and support. 

Easton Cowen (TOR) : The young winger has stepped into a top-line role alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies and has thrived early, posting a point through his first two games. If he continues in this spot, Cowan could rival Finnie for the league’s most favorable rookie situation especially given he’s sharing the ice with a 69-goal scorer in Matthews. 

Calder Contenders With Flaws

Maxim Shabanov (NYI) : The rookie has been slotted on the Islanders’ third line alongside seasoned veterans Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, providing him with a steady two-way environment to develop in. He’s also earning additional minutes on the power play, which could boost his production, already evident as he’s found the back of the net to start the season. 

Ivan Demidov (MTL) : Arguably the most naturally gifted player in this rookie class, Demidov is already logging top-six minutes and power-play time for Montreal. However, his production potential may be limited somewhat by his current linemates, skating alongside youngsters in Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook.  

Red Wings Aim to End Skid Against Dominant Panthers in Midweek ClashDetroit’s "Cat and Pat," look to spark a winning streak versus Panthers, challenge Florida’s dominance in Motor City

Zeev Buium (MIN) : Much like Schaefer, Buium is logging significant minutes early in the season and quickly proving his reliability on the blue line. However, he faces the same historical hurdle as Schaefer with no defenseman having captured the Calder Trophy in back-to-back seasons since 1963 and 1964, marking a challenge that adds extra weight to his campaign. 

Alexander Nikishin (CAR) : Unlike Schaefer, Nikishin isn’t logging heavy minutes to start the season, which could limit his early impact. On top of that, he faces the same historical obstacle for defenseman, making his path to the award an uphill one. 

Jimmy Snuggerud (STL) : Entering the season with valuable experience from 14 NHL games, split evenly between last year’s regular season and playoffs. However, he’s currently limited to third-line minutes alongside Pius Suter and Mathieu Joseph, which could cap his offensive opportunities early on. 

Ryan Leonard (WSH) : Leonard is currently stuck in a bottom-six role with little opportunity to move up the lineup, blocked at right wing by established players like Tom Wilson and Anthony Beauvillier, unless he can significantly outplay Beauvillier. So far, he has managed just two points across 17 NHL games, including nine in the regular season and eight in the playoffs. 

Sam Rinzel (CHI) : Faces an uphill battle playing on a Blackhawks team struggling offensively, which will likely limit his point production. Additionally, he must overcome the same historical challenge as the other defenseman, adding another hurdle to his rookie campaign. 

"That's A Good Sign": Red Wings Find Positives In Win Despite Being Outshot Getting outshot by a 40-15 margin and constantly getting hemmed into their defensive zone wasn't the strategy for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings </a>on Monday afternoon, and yet things still worked out for them thanks to a superhuman performance from goaltender Cam Talbot.&nbsp;

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Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.

The Bruins are good, and the Kings aren’t, just like everyone predicted, right? 

We must not overreact to what’s going on in October – it’s hard, I know – but we are just merely a week into the 2025-26 NHL season. This time last season, the Oilers and Avalanche were a combined 0-6-0. 

As in years past, the NHL power rankings see significant movement in the first few weeks while the league sorts itself out. There have been plenty of upsets, but it always requires some recalibration as we see teams for the first time in games that matter. 

Here are this week’s NHL power rankings. 

1. Dallas Stars (3-0-0, +5 goal differential. Previous Rank: 3)

They’ve basically run the gauntlet of the Central, defeating the Jets, Avs and Wild with no fewer than five goals scored in each game. The Stars are one of only two teams to have a perfect 1.000 points percentage so far this season. 

2. Carolina Hurricanes (3-0-0, +8. PR: 5)

It has not been one of the toughest schedules at all, but once again, the Hurricanes are proving to be a regular-season buzzsaw. And they’re doing this with Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Nikolaj Ehlers combining for zero goals. 

3. Florida Panthers (3-1-0, +3. PR: 1)

A road loss to the Flyers was the lone blip, but otherwise, the Panthers are rolling even without Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Don’t ever count out the Panthers making another big move, though.

4. Edmonton Oilers (2-0-1, +3. PR: 2)

Once in a while, Stuart Skinner will have a really good game and make you wonder if he really has the goods to backstop this team to the Cup. 

5. Colorado Avalanche (3-0-1, +5. PR: 8)

Nathan MacKinnon is a man on a mission, and Scott Wedgewood has held the fort nicely in Mackenzie Blackwood’s absence. A contract stand-off looms with pending UFA Martin Necas, who is tied with MacKinnon with eight points in four games. The situation is reminiscent of Mikko Rantanen’s last season; what lessons did the Avs learn from that negotiation, I wonder?

6. Vegas Golden Knights (2-0-2, +1. PR: 4)

Their power play has been awesome, but their defense and goaltending… not so much. The Knights seem a bit more careless than usual with turnovers, and Adin Hill left last night’s game due to an injury, which will put the Knights’ goalie depth to the test… but what depth?!

7. Winnipeg Jets (2-1-0, +3. PR: 6)

They nearly battled back from a 5-1 deficit in the season opener against the division rival Stars and completed a comeback to beat the Kings. Injuries have not made it easy on the Jets, but they’re powering through OK so far. 

8. Washington Capitals (3-1-0, +2. PR: 9)

The Caps aren’t scoring a ton and they’re also allowing a lot of scoring chances, but the biggest difference so far this season has been their goaltending. Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren rank third and sixth, respectively, in goals saved above average at 5-on-5, according to naturalstattrick.com. 

9. Minnesota Wild (2-2-0, even. PR: 10)

The Wild's power play (10-for-21, 47.6 percent) has been otherworldly, and there’s no better combo right now than Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. However, despite outchancing and outshooting their opponents by significant margins, they’ve also allowed 12 goals in their two losses. 

10. Toronto Maple Leafs (2-2-0, +2. PR: 7)

A public tongue lashing was enough to get William Nylander and Auston Matthews going, who combined for five points in a 7-4 win against the Preds. We cannot deny, however, that the absence of Mitch Marner has had an effect. The Leafs are one of three teams that have yet to score a power-play goal.

Why Easton Cowan Looks Like He Just Might Stick On The Maple Leafs' Top LineIt took two games for Easton Cowan to finally get in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. And another two games for the rookie winger to show that he has the skill — and tenacity — to potentially fill Mitch Marner's coveted spot on the top line.

11. St. Louis Blues (2-1-0, even. PR: 13)

The Blues rank second with 30.33 hits per 60 minutes entering Wednesday's games, and with some line juggling, they have managed to produced nine goals in two games after getting shut out in the season opener. They haven’t stormed out of the gates, but they’re still an intriguing dark horse given their physical play and scoring ability. 

12. New Jersey Devils (2-1-0, even. PR: 14)

After a shaky start in a 6-3 loss in the season opener, the Devils have flipped the script and won two straight. They have a tough schedule in the first month, and they need Jacob Markstrom to have a strong season.

13. Montreal Canadiens (3-1-0, +3. PR: 16)

After a season-opening loss, the Habs quickly regrouped and beat the Wings and closed out two close wins against the Hawks and Kraken. Their offense has yet to really get going, too. Lane Hutson doesn’t have a point on the power play, Juraj Slafkovsky has only one goal and Patrik Laine has one assist.

14. Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-1, -3. PR: 11)

Remember, the Lightning didn’t have a great start in their previous season either (7-6-1 after the first month) so there’s no panic yet. But it is hard to shake the feeling that an aging Lightning core is bound to drop off at some point. Andrei Vasilevskiy is winless through three games with a .870 SP. Fun stat: the Lightning had the third-lowest winning percentage (.370) in one-goal games last season, and they have one win in three one-goal games so far this season. 

15. Detroit Red Wings (2-1-0, even. PR: 21)

It was an ugly start with a 5-1 loss where the Wings were outshot 31-17. Then came back-to-back victories against the Leafs. It’s a young team, especially on defense, but trust the process and make sure you keep benching Travis Hamonic. 

16. Columbus Blue Jackets (1-2-0, +1. PR: 18)

The Jackets lost both their games by just one goal, but the early signs are very encouraging with strong goaltending from Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins. The pre-season diagnosis was that this was the weakest part of the Jackets’ roster, and it’s not even an issue right now. A tough four-game test looms with Colorado, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Washington. 

17. Boston Bruins (3-1-0, +4. PR: 29)

Surely, the Bruins are the most surprising team through the first week of 2025-26. They nearly staged a comeback win after trailing 3-0 against the Lightning with their backup in net, and they’re getting contributions from nearly every single player. Of their 12 forwards, nine of them have already scored a goal. Could they rank higher? Maybe, they already made the biggest jump in the rankings this week with 11 spots, and we mustn’t overreact in October. 

18. Seattle Kraken (2-0-1, +2. PR: 26)

I really think Matty Beniers looks different this season. He’s faster, generating more offense and, perhaps most importantly, getting more deployment for offensive-zone draws. The Kraken had some really close games, and I’m still not convinced they’re playoff material, but grinding out a low-event overtime win against the Knights was encouraging.

19. Los Angeles Kings (1-2-1, -4. PR: 12)

Is it a shocker that the Kings’ third pair has been a problem? They have zero regulation wins through four games, spotted their opponents a 3-0 lead in two games after two periods, nearly blew a lead against the Knights and blew one against the Jets. Aside from a six-goal outburst against the Knights, the Kings have scored six goals in three games, echoing last season’s inability to score. 

20. Anaheim Ducks (2-1-0, even. PR: 23)

Joel Quenneville, Chris Kreider, Beckett Sennecke, Mason McTavish… it looks like the Ducks have made all the right calls so far this season. If there’s a young team ready to upset the established order in the West, the Ducks look like a strong candidate.

21. Ottawa Senators (1-2-0, -6. PR: 15)

Horrible news coming down the pipeline Tuesday that captain Brady Tkachuk would miss at least four weeks with a hand injury. Linus Ullmark has struggled in the early going (.842 SP, 4.07 GAA) and needs to get those goals against numbers down. 

22. Utah Mammoth (1-2-0, -2. PR: 17)

The Mammoth are not delivering the high-octane offense I was expecting, scoring just four goals in regulation through three games. The upcoming four-game homestand is vital to generate some rhythm since eight of their next nine games will be on the road. 

23. Vancouver Canucks (1-2-0, -1. PR: 19)

The Elias Pettersson revenge tour hasn’t manifested itself, and that’s a problem because Quinn Hughes can only do so much. The saving grace so far this season has been Thatcher Demko, who’s a Vezina-caliber goalie for the Canucks when he’s healthy. 

24. Calgary Flames (1-3-0, -7. PR: 20)

They can’t generate consistent offense, and even the prospective return of Jonathan Huberdeau doesn’t bring a ton of optimism. The Flames are cooked if Dustin Wolf – currently the worst goalie in the league based on goals saved above average at 5-on-5 per naturalstattrick.com – can’t replicate last season’s form. 

25. New York Rangers (2-3-0, +3. PR: 22)

The Rangers set a new NHL low with three straight shutout losses at home. Kreider, meanwhile, has four goals. And you’re telling me he was the problem?! Somebody save Igor Shesterkin from this mess – he deserves better.

26. Pittsburgh Penguins (2-2-0, -2. PR: 27)

Somehow, they’re not that bad? The Pens nearly went 3-1-0 but blew a 2-0 lead to the Ducks. I still think the Pens are on a path to a rebuild, but if winning more games and foregoing a chance at Gavin McKenna means keeping Sidney Crosby around just a little longer, then why not keep doing what they’re doing?

The Top 100 CHL Players To Watch In 2025-26For years, I've done a <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/the-top-100-ncaa-players-to-watch-in-2025-26">top 100 NCAA hockey players to watch list</a>, and for some reason, despite the fact the CHL has about the same number of teams, I always felt a major junior list would be harder.

27. Nashville Predators (2-1-1, even. PR: 30)

Juuse Saros looks as good as he’s ever been, bouncing back from a horrendous 2024-25. That alone will keep the Preds competitive, and keep in mind the Preds only play their tough Central opponents seven times from now until the end of November, so don’t be surprised if they’re a lot more competitive in the standings than anticipated. 

28. Philadelphia Flyers (1-1-1, +1. PR: 28)

The good part is that their goaltending actually doesn’t look terrible, and Trevor Zegras is already generating plenty of buzz. The bad part is they still might have some trouble scoring on a consistent basis while Rick Tocchet figures out his offense. Matvei Michkov has already drawn his ire.

Flyers Fans Stay Patient, Believe They Could Be 'Sneaky' Playoff ContenderThe Philadelphia Flyers’ head honchos say making the playoffs would be nice, but they are stressing improvement, especially from their young players, more than anything else this season.

29. Chicago Blackhawks (1-2-1, -1. PR: 32)

Connor Bedard looks like he’s gained a step and gotten a little quicker, but Frank Nazar has taken the biggest leap so far. It’s shaping up to be a breakout season for Nazar, and more importantly, he is taking some pressure off Bedard’s shoulders as a legit No. 2 center for the Hawks. 

30. New York Islanders (0-3-0, -6. PR: 24)

Ilya Sorokin looks a bit uncomfortable out there, having allowed 12 goals in three games. The Isles have no chance if their elite goalie can’t perform up to standard. The goal to shelter Matthew Schaefer lasted just one game – after playing 17 minutes in the season opener, he played 26 minutes in the subsequent two games. There’s the silver lining. 

31. San Jose Sharks (0-1-2, -6. PR: 31)

At this pace, the Sharks are on their way to being one of the 10 worst defensive teams in the cap era for the third (!) time. They can score goals in bunches when Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith drive their offense, but their defending is weak, and their goaltending inconsistent. Could you imagine, though if they add Gavin McKenna to a core of Celebrini, Smith and Michael Misa? 

32. Buffalo Sabres (0-3-0, -8. PR: 25)

I am so, so sorry, Buffalo fans. 

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Oct 14, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven (22) congratulates Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi (32) after defeating the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Former Maine Mariners' goaltender Brandon Bussi became the 769th former ECHL player to reach the NHL when he debuted with the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at San Jose against the Sharks.

Bussi was impressive in the Hurricanes’ 5-1 victory Tuesday night, stopping 16 shots and making numerous spectacular saves to keep his team in the game and allow them to eventually grab momentum.

The Canes exploded for four goals in the final 26 minutes and didn't allow the Sharks a shot on goal in the final period.

The only blemish occurred early in the middle frame, and that was due more to a defensive breakdown on the part of the Canes than their goaltender.

William Eklund scored on a partial breakaway to knot the game 1-1 after Sean Walker lit the lamp for the Hurricanes three minutes earlier.

The 27-year-old Bussi is the 10th netminder in Hurricanes franchise history to win his NHL debut while playing for the club, and the first since Pyotr Kochetkov accomplished the feat on Apr. 23, 2022. He’s the first former ECHL player to make his NHL debut during the 2025-26 season.

Bussi signed this summer with the Florida Panthers after three seasons with the Boston Bruins organization, but was among the final cuts from the defending Stanley Cup champs. He came over to the Canes when third-string goaltender Cayden Primeau was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs, then Kochetkov was placed on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury.

The 6-foot-4, 218-pound netminder went 3-1-0 in four appearances with the Mariners during the 2022-23 season with a 2.50 goals-against average and a save percentage of .922.

A native of Sound Beach, N.Y., Bussi has seen action in 111 career games with Providence of the American Hockey League, where he is 63-31-12 with eight shutouts, a 2.62 goals-against average and a save percentage of .915.

Thanks to Bussi’s outstanding performance Tuesday, the Canes are one of just two teams who remain unbeaten on the young season as they head to Anaheim for a clash with the Ducks Thursday night. The Dallas Stars are the only other undefeated team.

Throughout the course of the NHL season, there are plenty of scenarios when players wish they could take a play back and do things differently. 

One such scenario - a costly one - happened for Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Parker Wotherspoon on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks. 

With 1:34 remaining in regulation and in the midst of a back-and-forth, high-energy 3-3 tie, Wotherspoon had the puck on his stick in the defensive zone, readying for a breakout. There are any number of decisions he could have made in that moment, but the 28-year-old defenseman decided to try to bank the puck off the glass in order to move it out of the defensive zone.

Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

Wotherspoon ended up airmailing the puck over the glass, which resulted in a late delay of game penalty. The Ducks scored a power play goal just seven seconds later, which was Chris Kreider's second power play goal of the night - and the nail in the coffin for the Penguins, who dropped the contest, 4-3.

Rickard Rakell, Justin Brazeau, and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, while goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 18 of 22 Ducks' shots on goal.

"It was just a dumb play," Wotherspoon said. "I was trying to make the right choice and just get it off the glass. Obviously, it's super unfortunate, but I can't be doing that that late in games, so it was dumb."

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Win over the PenguinsThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks">Anaheim Ducks</a> returned from their two-game road trip to play their home opener, when they hosted the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> on Tuesday at Honda Center.

Although the result was indeed unfortunate for the Penguins, they - once again - didn't do themselves any favors in this game, as they were unable to stay out of the box akin to what happened in a 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. Their only power play came in the form of a delay of game after a failed offside challenge by Anaheim late in the second period, which followed Mantha's first goal as a Penguin to tie the game at 3-3.

Pittsburgh took six penalties on the evening, and the Ducks had two power play goals. If the Penguins hope to win hockey games going forward, they will need to find ways to stay more disciplined, even if the game isn't always going their way.

And they also need improve their penalty kill, which has surrendered four goals in the past two contests.

"You want to be at least even or getting more on the advantage than you are killing," head coach Dan Muse said. "So, it plays a role. At the same time, too, when we do have to kill penalties... it's an area that we're going to have to continue to work to improve."

Final from Anaheim ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/iGGjb6OsWz

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 15, 2025

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Here are a few notes and observations from this one:

- Aside from the delay of game penalty at the end of the game, I thought Wotherspoon played another solid game for the Penguins. His defense partner, Erik Karlsson, was caught out of position a few times, and - as he has done with consistency so far this season - he was able to read off of that. He was also able to break the Penguins out of danger a few times.

So, that's what made the penalty at the end all the more unfortunate. Mistakes happen, of course, but that was certainly a costly one. 

Penguins' New Top Defensive Pairing Could Be Hidden GemThere are a lot of new faces populating the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' roster this season, especially on the left side of the Penguins' blue line.&nbsp;

- Rookie teenage defenseman Harrison Brunicke was held out of the lineup for developmental purposes on Tuesday, which made way for Connor Clifton and Matt Dumba to make their Penguins' debuts.

And it was a mixed bag for both of them. Dumba was caught flat-footed on more a few occasions, and his net-front defense failed him on Kreider's first goal because he allowed the pass to get through and he didn't box Kreider out. He had some good moments as well - namely in helping generate some offense - and it's worth noting that was playing his off-side.

Clifton wasn't great on the penalty kill, either, but I thought he played a relatively solid game five-on-five. He showcased his physicality, too, and landed a few big hits. 

If Brunicke sticks around for good this season, it's unclear exactly how the defensive rotation is going to work. Caleb Jones is also in the mix. But, assuming Brunicke is back in next game on the right side, I'd like to see Clifton get a game on the left side. 

It's Only Been Three Games. But Kindel And Brunicke Should Be In Pittsburgh To Stay.Going into <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' training camp this season, it's safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.

- I don't think Rust played a particularly strong game Tuesday. It's definitely a factor that he is just coming back from injury and has only played two games. But, in both games, he struggled in his own zone five-on-five and on the penalty kill, his reads were off, and he sent a few errant passes.

On Tuesday, he also made a few poor decisions with the puck during the six-on-five, which led to the puck leaving the offensive zone on both occasions. 

It's early, and I won't hold anything against Rust yet. But he hasn't been great in his first two.

- I saw a lot of people getting on Jarry after this one. After all, four goals on 22 shots isn't great, right? 

On paper, no. But, honestly, I thought he was pretty good in this game for the most part. He made some key saves in opportune moments when the Ducks were coming on strong, which happened in waves during this game. The entire flow of the game was back-and-forth, run-and-gun, footrace-style hockey, and the teams were trading chances and momentum all night long.

It's reasonable to suggest that Jarry needs to be better. That's not a false statement. But this was one of those games where looking at the final stat line for him doesn't exactly tell the whole story.

- The Penguins play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, another late one for the East Coast. I would expect them to be much more disciplined and come out strong in this one. The Penguins tend to play some of their best hockey against the Kings, who play a stingy, tight-checking brand.

I would venture to guess that Brunicke will be back in the lineup, and it's possible that Ben Kindel may not be. Muse said that the two rookies getting scratched on planned days is all part of a development plan laid out by management and the coaching staff.

Kevin Hayes made the trip and should also be returning soon. Some interesting decisions loom for the Penguins.

4 Early Trade Candidates For The PenguinsWith a few players on injured reserve and some young prospects making some pretty solid cases to stick around for good, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will have some tough roster decisions to make in the coming days and weeks.

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To say that defenceman Ville Heinola is frustrated would be an understatement.

The Winnipeg Jets have long been a very deep defensive club.

So much so that they set NHL records last season for their strong play away from the puck. From longest streaks of games played without allowing a certain number of goals against, to blocked shots, hits and time spent in the defensive end, the Jets have been a stellar shut down defensive squad.

In order to be that, a team needs to be assembled in a particular manner: large, strong, tough and sturdy.

Think, Luke Schenn.

The veteran defenceman brought in prior to the trade deadline last season fits the exact mold set by GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. Dylan Samberg has all of those characteristics, plus a flair for smart decision-making with the puck and some added offence when needed. 

Josh Morrissey is the offensive stalwart, while Neal Pionk has proven to be a reliable, speedy option on the back-end. 

Colin Miller, whom Winnipeg traded for a couple years back, also has similar traits to that of Schenn and Samberg - he's just a bit slower, but has a heavier shot. 

Logan Stanley - who does not skate particularly well - fits the bill on the third pairing due to his towering 6-foot-7 frame and his willingness to clear the netfront. 

Haydn Fleury, who is possibly the best skater of all the Jets' defence, even found himself sitting out more often than not last year in favour of bigger, slower teammates. He has made himself at home, however, since proving his worth during last spring's postseason. 

Then, there's the curious case of Ville Heinola. 

The small, speedy Finn has not been able to find a place on the crowded blueline in Winnipeg, and on Tuesday made clear his frustration with another training camp resulting in a trip down the hallway to the AHL's Manitoba Moose dressing room.

When asked by Illegal Curve's Dave Minuk of being placed on Waivers for the first time in his career, Heinola responded bluntly.

"I mean, it's obviously not fun," he said. "To be honest, I kind of wish that someone would have picked me up. But that didn't happen, and I'm here. Happy to play." 

Asked Ville Heinola about going through the waiver process for the first time in his career.

He said he hoped he would have been picked up by another team (which is an honest answer as it would mean he remains in the NHL).

Our full chat: https://t.co/eMHhOfIdDfpic.twitter.com/l4olizG39X

— Dave Minuk (@ICdave) October 14, 2025

Selected 20th overall in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the now 24-year-old cracked the Jets out of camp that fall following the retirement of Dustin Byfuglien. He became the first player born in the 21st century to score on NHL goal, and had a goal and five points in eight games to start that rookie season prior to being sent home for further development.

Thanks to beefed up bluelines, an influx of coaches and unfortunately timed injuries, he never made the Jets out of training camp again. 

In 53 games over five seasons, Heinola has that single goal and 12 points to his name. The majority of his time has been spent with the Moose, where he has played 154 games over parts of seven seasons. He has 23 goals and 103 points over that lengthy time spent in antlers. 

Now, having been placed on Waivers for the first time in his career and having no takers of the 31 other teams, it was a bit of a low-blow for the puck-moving defender. 

"That's all I can do," Heinola concluded. "I'll try my hardest and try to play well, and hopefully something happens."

With Winnipeg's draft and develop model having worked wonders for current star players Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Cole Perfetti, Morrissey and Samberg, others, such as Heinola may be getting squeezed too thin at the AHL level.

The current flock of AHL prospects includes that of Heinola, fellow defenceman Elias Salomonsson and forwards Brayden Yager, Brad Lambert and Colby Barlow. Once Perfetti and captain Adam Lowry return from their injuries, the expectation is that both Parker Ford and Nikita Chibrikov will be sent back down to join Ville Heinola and David Gustafsson on the Moose.

Former Florida Panthers goaltender Brandon Bussi made his NHL debut last night with the Carolina Hurricanes, picking up a 5-1 win.

The 27-year-old wasn't too busy throughout the game, but the high-danger chances the San Jose Sharks did create were turned away. He finished the outing with 16 saves on 17 shots, allowing the lone goal to William Eklund, which came on a breakaway. 

Bussi's NHL debut has been a long-awaited one. He has played 111 games in the AHL, 72 in the NCAA, and another 52 in the USHL. 

"You work hard to get to moments like this, and you don’t know if it’s ever going to happen. Great effort by the team today, they made my job easy,” said Bussi after the game.

"You work hard to get to moments like this, and you don’t know if it’s ever going to happen. Great effort by the team today, they made my job easy.”

Brandon Bussi with @hannaRyates after earning a win in his NHL debut. pic.twitter.com/ZEMrePxaUE

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) October 15, 2025

Bussi was set to be the Charlotte Checkers' No.1 goaltender this year and the Panthers' third stringer behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the Hurricanes put a claim on him when he was placed on waivers. 

With Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov, Bussi will likely be the third-string goaltender when they are healthy. But for now, he has an excellent opportunity to be the backup in Carolina. 

With Bussi gone, Cooper Black has taken charge of the Checkers crease, picking up a win in one of his two starts this season. 

The Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak to three games during their Oct. 14 matchup against the Seattle Kraken, as they defeated the Pacific Division club in overtime by a 5-4 final score. With this, the Canadiens now have a 3-1-0 record on the season and are tied with the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins at the top of the Atlantic Division standings. 

Canadiens star Cole Caufield was undoubtedly a huge reason why the Canadiens defeated the Kraken. The 2019 first-round pick scored twice in the Canadiens' contest against the Kraken, with one of them most notably being the overtime winner. 

ÊTES-VOUS DIVERTIS??

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/8V7jKLpPj6

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 15, 2025

With his impressive performance against the Kraken, Caufield has now recorded three goals, five points, and a plus-4 rating in his last three games. With this, the 5-foot-8 winger is certainly doing his job for the Canadiens early on this campaign, and there is no question that they are benefiting from it. 

It will now be very interesting to see how Caufield builds on his hot streak with the Canadiens from here. If he continues to have strong games like he has been as of late, it will undoubtedly be great news for a Canadiens club looking to take another step forward in the right direction. 

Here's today's NHL Nugget – this Wild Wednesday Rewind heads back to Oct. 15, 1989, at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.

The Oilers faithful watched their former hero, Wayne Gretzky, come in as the opponent with the Los Angeles Kings, but this night carried much more significance than that with the NHL points record on the line.

Brian T. Dessart takes fans on a distinctive ride through the historic-laden NHL with the #NHLNugget. Check out NHLNugget.com to find where to follow NHL Nugget on social media.  And for past NHL Nuggets, click here.    

#Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch recorded his 96th career NHL win, passing Dave Tippett for the fifth-most in franchise history! #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/OkJ8YBH8rQ

— Eric Friesen 🏒 (@EricJFriesen) October 15, 2025

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to cement his place in franchise history. With a recent victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, Knoblauch notched his 96th career NHL win, moving past former coach Dave Tippett to claim fifth place on the Oilers’ all-time wins list.

Knoblauch’s early success in Edmonton has been remarkable. In just 154 games at the helm, he’s won 96 (96-47-11), a winning percentage that is among the best in the NHL, particularly for the length of time he's been an NHL head coach.

While he inherited a Stanley Cup contender, he came to the Oilers under less than ideal circumstances, replacing Jay Woodcroft early in a season and essentially being told to turn the team around or else. Knoblauch did just that, taking the team to the Finals, where they've barely lost out of the Florida Panthers in two straight seasons. A key factor in his success as a coach has been his ability to stay calm under immense pressure and his effective communication with elite stars. 

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The franchise recently confirmed its confidence in Knoblauch’s abilities by signing him to a three-year contract extension, all while knowing that every decision could impact whether Connor McDavid re-signed with the team. Knoblauch signed, and then McDavid followed just days later.

This season, an important start is key for the Oilers, but so is bringing along some new faces, including young players who need to find success at the NHL level. If he's able to do so, Knoblauch could realistically pass both Todd McLellan and Ron Low, moving him into fourth on the all-time list of Oilers coaches. He would need 56 more wins to tie Craig McTavish, which, while possible, would put them in elite company. That would mean the Oilers would go 58-23-1 on the season. That's 117 points, and only the Boston Bruins (135 points in 2022-23), the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche (2021-22), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-19) have done so in the past six seasons. 

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The Chicago Blackhawks are now through four games. The first two came on the road against the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, followed by the next two at home against the Montreal Canadiens and Utah Mammoth. Chicago is 1-2-1 with 3 standings points.

One thing that is evident through the first four games is that the Blackhawks are going to be involved in a lot more games. All four were either a Blackhawks win or losses by one goal. They are fast, have more skill, and play hard for Jeff Blashill. 

There were some things that we learned about the team during the first two road games. Now that they have played two at home, we know even more about them. These are the three things that the first homestand of 2025-26 told us about the Blackhawks:

Ilya Mikheyev can impact games

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev is not a star player, but he did score a cool 20 goals in 2024-25. With no power play time, that is an impressive total. 

Coming into this year, it was fair to wonder how he would follow that up. So far, he’s been an impactful player all over the ice once again, which was evident in the two home games. 

In the home opener against Montreal, the Blackhawks found themselves on the penalty kill 10 times. They killed off eight of them, which is a great job by those units. Mikheyev is one of the key pieces to that success, as he was all over the ice during those kills. 

As a result of his work on the PK, and how frequently it was needed, he hardly had any even strength ice time. That’s the kind of warrior that helps build great cultures in the NHL. 

Two days later, when hosting the Mammoth, Mikheyev was rewarded with two goals. One was a beautiful effort to drive the net, and the other was an empty-netter. After the sacrifices he made against Montreal, he deserved to be on the scoresheet more than once a day later. 

Having bottom-six forwards who can do it all for your team is important. Right now, Ilya Mikheyev is a proven player who can impact games. His work on this homestand is a great sign that it will continue. 

Developing a "killer instinct" is a must

In the first game of the homestand, the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens, the Blackhawks allowed the game-winning goal with 15 seconds left in regulation. They were that close to at least getting a point, and giving themselves a chance to win in overtime. 

Once the game was over, Nick Foligno talked about developing a killer instinct. That is something that has lacked in recent years. The Blackhawks have become known for blowing leads late or letting their opponent find a way to win in the final minutes. 

One game later against the Mammoth, they did the opposite. Once Andre Burakovsky gave them a 2-1 lead, they did not allow Utah to get it tied. Instead, they threw one into the empty net and won 3-1 for their first victory of the season. 

Like Foligno said, having that "killer instinct" can be the key to winning hockey games. One game after talking about it, the team showed signs of improvement in that area. Seeing that become more of a trend is a must this year if they want to take a step as a group. 

Spencer Knight may be a high-end NHL starting goalie

Spencer Knight was a first-round draft pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019. Being selected so high is rare for a goalie, but Knight had the pedigree to live up to it. 

After some struggles on and off the ice in Florida, along with some flashes of incredible play, the Panthers included him in the trade to get Seth Jones. With Sergei Bobrovsky as their main man in net, they were able to make that deal to get another solid defenseman. 

With the Chicago Blackhawks, Knight is getting the opportunity he deserves to be a number one in the NHL. He got himself off to a good start when he came over at the end of last season, but he's gone to another level to start this year. 

Knight played both games at home and allowed only four total goals. His goals against average currently sits at 2.35 while his save percentage is .920. Knowing his team is outshot in every game, these stats look even better. 

The first game of the season on the road wouldn't have been close without Knight's brilliance. He came home and started both games, and his team had a shot to win each because of him. 

Is he going to compete for Vezina Trophies or lead them to deep playoff runs? That remains to be seen. All we know is that he dominated this homestand and looks like he may be a high-end NHL goalie.

If Knight can continue saving 81 of every 88 shots, the Blackhawks will be more than pleased.

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It was a very relaxed and pleased Montreal Canadiens owner who met the Montreal media before his team’s home opener. You could tell by his demeanor that with the Lane Hutson contract and the Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes extensions signed, a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

Although it was not complicated to put pen to paper with the duo of executives who both wanted to continue working on the rebuild they had started together, it was essential to do so. While there was still plenty of time left to get contract extensions done since their current deal took them to the end of the season, it made sense to do it now, especially with the outside interest Gorton was receiving in the last couple of years. His promotion to the rank of president of hockey operations had nothing to do with a fear of seeing him jump ship; he told Molson time and time again that he was happy in Montreal and wanted to stay. It was essentially done to reflect today’s reality in the NHL.

Canadiens: Three Takeaways As Demidov Shines In Home Opener Win
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Canadiens Sign Hughes & Gorton To Five-Year Extensions

Molson spoke candidly about what the pair has achieved since he hired them late in 2021 for Gorton and early in 2022 for Hughes, when he was asked what their best move had been so far, though he replied:

It starts all the way up. After hiring Jeff, it was a coup to hire Kent, and then Martin St-Louis. We also made some trades to acquire first-round picks, which helped us build for the future. These trades have already borne fruit or will bear fruit in the future. It’s a lot of things; it’s all part of the plan.

- Molson on Hughes and Gorton's best move

It was a coincidence that both the Hutson deal and those two happened in such a short period of time, but these deals had been reached a little bit before Hutson’s, which came together last weekend. Understandably, the player extension was announced first, but once that was done, there was no reason to delay the announcement further.

The owner had a little laugh when he was asked if the team architects had followed the players’ lead and left some money on the table, before adding he was more than happy to pay them. It’s been a while since the general feeling has been so positive after the signature of an executive in Montreal. The last time a hire or contract extension in the front office was so well-received was when the organization appointed Chantal Machabee as the vice president of communications.

Nearly four years after Molson decided to bet on Jeff Gorton, an anglophone, to spearhead his rebuild, a move that was criticized by some, it’s safe to say that he has won his gamble. The Canadiens haven’t won anything yet, but they seem well on their way, and the business is thriving.

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