PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates in front of Patrick Kane #88 of the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Some more notable starters are seeing preseason action tonight for the Penguins after Bryan Rust and Kris Letang took the ice in Monday night’s win over the Buffalo Sabres.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both be playing Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings’ preseason squad, according to the Penguins.
They’ll be joined by some familiar names in Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, Tommy Novak, Ilya Solovyov, Sam Girard and Artūrs Šilovs. Ville Koivunen is back for his first game action since signing his eight-year extension last month.
Joining them will be a few names from Pensburgh’s top 25 under 25 list, including Markus and Liam Ruck, Mikhail Ilyin, Finn Harding, Bill Zonnon and Tomas Galvas.
Other players to keep an eye on include winger Nick Robertson, who is appearing in his first action for the Penguins, as well as Rutger McGroarty, who is beginning his next campaign for a permanent NHL roster spot.
The roster for tomorrow's preseason game vs. Detroit has been announced ⬇️
McGroarty’s path to the 23-man roster might have gotten tougher Monday night thanks to strong play from Filip Hallander and Tristan Broz to go along with a highlight-reel goal from Avery Hayes.
Which players will end up on the Penguins’ active roster at the start of the regular season isn’t the only decision head coach Dan Muse and the front office will need to make this week. The Pens are also working on testing out new special teams combinations.
One change from Monday included adding Elmer Söderblom to the penalty kill, although Muse said after the game he hadn’t yet decided if Söderblom will maintain that role in the regular season.
Other notable takeaways from the win over the Sabres included some early chemistry between Bryan Rust and offseason addition Andrei Kuzmenko as well as strong play from goaltender Sergei Murashov ahead of what could be his first full-time season in Pittsburgh.
The biggest story from Monday night was arguably the lower-body injury that ended Ben Kindel’s night in the second period against the Sabres. Muse said when speaking to reporters after the game Kindel was still being evaluated.
The Penguins will hope for a positive injury update regarding Kindel, who was one of the best forwards on Monday’s ice prior to his injury, before the second game of the shortened preseason kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
The Penguins will then have just two more preseason matchups (Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres) before kicking off the regular season a week from Wednesday at the Philadelphia Flyers.
As the pre-season continues, one name to watch is Kirill Kudryavtsev. The 22-year-old defenceman has become a draft-day steal for the Vancouver Canucks after they selected him 208th overall in 2022. Four years later, Kudryavtsev has already won a Calder Cup and is now fighting for a spot on the opening-night roster.
Thanks to some impressive play in the AHL, Kirill Kudryavtsev has already suited up for Vancouver five times. Last season, he played in three games and picked up his first two career NHL assists. Entering his third pro campaign, Kudryavtsev's goal remains to become a full-time NHLer.
"That goal was for the last two years," said Kudryavtsev. "The main goal is just to make the team. It doesn't matter what time. It can be the opening night, or it can be February. Honestly, if I just get myself a spot on the team, that's the ultimate goal that I'm trying to achieve there."
As mentioned, Kudryavtsev picked up his first and second career assists last year. He recorded his first against the Anaheim Ducks on April 12, and his second two days later against the Los Angeles Kings. As Kudryavtsev explained in an interview with The Hockey News, getting on the scoresheet at the NHL level was a moment he won't soon forget.
"It's very exciting. Obviously, there is still a goal up ahead that I have to score, but to get the first point, it's just very nice. It lifts off lots of pressure. Don't have to think about, like, I play so many games now. I haven't had a point yet. All of that, just don't think about that. Now I can just play hockey and then help the team to win hockey games. Then if I score, I score. It's just a good bonus that I will have. But obviously it lifts a lot of unnecessary pressure that I could have in my head for not getting any points or anything."
While there were some special moments, last season was one of the hardest in Kudryavtsev's young career. He suffered a significant injury which sidelined him for two months. When asked about his injury, Kudryavtsev opened up about some of the challenges he faced while sidelined.
"I've never had an injury like that before. So it was the first time I was actually away from the team. Actually, just doing the rehab. Actually, it was hurting. It was kind of affecting my day-to-day life. So it was a new experience. The one experience I do not really want to go through again. It was dark times. It's really lonely. When the boys go on the road, you have to stay alone. Maybe you get like one or two other extra guys who are recovering with you. But it's really dark times. It gets in your head. You just have to sit there. You watch your teammates battle, play, have fun there, and you just keep watching that. Don't really want to go through that again. It was a tough experience. But it made me stronger. Maybe I appreciate the time when I'm on the team. Even though you have some bad days and you don't want to show up to the rink, you can start to think about how hard it was for those two months being away from hockey, and you kind of start to appreciate coming to the rink every day healthy."
Since joining the AHL, Kudryavtsev has had only one head coach: Manny Malhotra. The two have developed a strong relationship and could be reunited this year in the NHL. When asked about Vancouver's new head coach, Kudryavtsev spoke not just about how Malhotra helps on the ice, but off it as well.
"A great coach, amazing human being. He's very smart. It's a shame, honestly. He's so smart you can't hide anything from him. But no, he's just a great guy. He's always there for you if you need anything hockey-wise, off-ice stuff. He's there. He always helps you. You have any question about anything, about your life, about how to handle it. I have a girlfriend, for example, or my cat is sick, for example, you can come over to him. Or have a question about the defensive zone, or what am I doing in the offensive zone. He's always there to help. He's always there to help you in the game too. He's that kind of coach that he loves his style of the game, but if you like see something that you wanna adapt to the system to, he always listens to you. He might not adjust; he might adjust; you never know. I've never tried it, but he is a great coach. He helped me a lot. He made me a way stronger hockey player. He taught me lots of small things on the ice that I needed to grow in, and I still have lots of work to do on those small things. But he is helping me a lot, and really appreciate that."
If Kudryavtsev is going to become a full-time NHLer, he needs to keep developing his overall game. He has some intriguing tools, which is one reason he has been called up in each of the last two seasons. For Kudryavtsev, he was able to identify some areas of his game that need work and improve on them during the off-season.
"I'd say try to improve my shot a little bit more. Just so I can be more threatening from the blue line. I believe I'm a smart enough guy to get myself in those positions where I can have a good look at the net. But sometimes, my shot is not as threatening, so the guys can take it a little bit lightly. I feel like if I have a pretty good shot, people will have to respect me more. That will open up more seams in the passing lanes for me. That's where I can take advantage of the other teams because I know that I can find those passing lanes. So I've been trying to work on my shot, and then my all-around game, just my skill stuff. Obviously, the off-ice workouts, conditioning, all of that."
Ultimately, Kudryavtsev has put himself in a good position to start the year in the NHL. He has had a strong training camp and led the Canucks in ice time during their first pre-season game. If Kudryavtsev keeps developing his game, it won't be long before he becomes a permanent fixture on Vancouver's blue line.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) during a stop in play against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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It may have been only a preseason tilt, but for Saint-Boniface and Trois-Rivières, it must have felt like much more. To see the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators play at the Colisée Vidéotron, the barn of the Habs’ ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivières Lions, must have felt surreal. The 4,500-seat arena was filled to the brim with hockey-crazed fans- or rather, Habs fans, I should say, as finding a Senators jersey was quite a challenge, but that was to be expected so deep in Canadiens’ territory. Holding the game in Saint-Boniface wouldn’t have made much sense with the arena so small, so they decided to play at Colisée Vidéotron, a 23-minute drive away. A bigger rink meant more fans could catch the action.
Still, the $250,000 Kraft Hockeyville prize money will go to the small arena; players’ dressing rooms and bathrooms will be improved, along with the boards, glass, and roof. According to Canadiens forward Zachary Bolduc, who played there in his youth, that will be money well spent. Saint-Boniface is the 18th Kraft Hockeyville winner since the program began in 2006.
For a couple of Canadiens’ rookies, it was a big game for a different reason. After playing a great game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, David Reinbacher and Florian Xhekaj had earned the right to get another close look, this time with Martin St-Louis in the building, and neither of them disappointed.
On one of his first shifts, Reinbacher made a play that summed him up pretty well. With a Sens player skating at full speed toward him, the Austrian braced for impact and played the puck with poise, getting it to his forward safely for a zone exit. Safe and sound may not be the sexiest terms in hockey, but for a defensive defenseman, they are enviable traits.
After the game, Lane Hutson had nothing but praise for his partner on the night:
Yeah, he looked good; he’s easy to read off of; he killed a lot of plays; I thought he played great. It was fun to watch him.
As for the youngest Xhekaj, he didn’t get an assist on Jayden Struble’s goal, but it was his big hit deep in the zone that led to the defenseman getting the puck on his stick in space. Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t his only big hit either; he’s great on the forecheck and fears absolutely no one. Evaluating the forward, Martin St-Louis commented:
You know what he brings; he’s consistent in what you know he brings. He played a physical game again tonight; he skated, and he’s got a presence when he’s on the ice.
As for whether the sandpaper he brings might be something his team lacks, the coach agreed:
Of course, we always want to add sandpaper, and it’s not just one guy. Generally, I think we’re improving on that front; we’ll try to keep it up.
Asked if the youngster is able to walk the fine line between stepping up for his teammates and putting his team in trouble, the bench boss explained:
That’s part of playing a mature game, to not just be looking for that, but to be there, to be calculated. I think he does a good job of it, and Xhako (Arber Xhekaj) has improved a lot on that front. You’ve got to do the job, but without hurting the team.
As for the man himself, he had this to say about walking that line:
Obviously that’s something I’ve wanted to get better at, and I think I’ve been doing a really good job of that, so that’s good.
Old Habits Die Hard
It may only be the preseason, but in two games so far, the Canadiens have struggled in the middle frame. St-Louis today was talking about a lack of execution in the middle stanza, and he’s not wrong, but that’s something that plagued the Habs last season as well. Of course, consistency is one of the toughest things for a young team to achieve, but it has to come eventually.
In his post-game comments, Hutson also mentioned that he liked how the team played with the puck in the first and third frame. The players know about that issue, and sooner rather than later, they need to fix it.
Taking your foot off the pedal for the middle frame only makes it tougher to get the result ultimately. In the playoffs, unnecessarily depleting your energy can be costly. Last year, in the Eastern Conference final, the Habs looked flat and out of energy, and having to play two 7-game series beforehand certainly didn’t help.
The Curious Case Of Kirby Dach, Last Chance Edition?
Kirby Dach is skating on thin ice. This summer, he was submitted a qualifying offer, but it was for a two-way contract, a way for the team to get him under contract for less than the four million his qualifying offer provided for. Kent Hughes's decision to submit that kind of offer should have been a stern warning to the Albertan, but it doesn’t feel like it was.
He finished his evening with no points, one shot and a puzzling level of implication. Dach has the size and skills to be an impact player, but he plays like he's completely unaware of it. On the attack, when he gets closed up on the boards, he’s worryingly easy to dispossess, and he just doesn’t seem to have much fight. St-Louis has never been and will never be the kind of coach who will push one of his players under the proverbial bus, so it wasn’t a shock to hear him say that the Dach line gave him good hockey, that all three players were skating hard and that they had generally provided very good hockey.
However, at the start of training camp, St-Louis said he didn’t know what kind of role Dach would have on his team and that events would guide him. So far, looking at what has unfolded, it’s hard to see how the coach could believe a Dach who lacks engagement could be more useful to his team than, say, a Xhekaj (Florian) who plays with intensity for every second he spends on the ice.
The Canadiens now only have one game day left. On Saturday, they will take on the Senators again, but this time in a split-squad format, with one game in each city. It will be one last chance for players who still haven't secured a roster spot to convince the coach they belong.
From: @rookvania.bsky.social Sort of a two-part question: With camp still underway we don't know who will go to WBS yet, but who do you expect to be a player to follow closely down there? You mentioned Pickering as much improved, so maybe he fits that billing, but has anyone else surprised you or improved as much?
Pickering and Harrison Brunicke are obvious candidates, assuming neither makes the roster out of camp. They are likely to be WBS's top pairing and look pretty darn close to NHL-ready. In fact, I think they are NHL-ready and should probably be this team's third pairing, but that's highly unlikely this season because of a sheer numbers game.
But, otherwise, I'll throw a hat in the ring for a forward and a defenseman.
As far as forwards, I'd say Atley Calvert. This guy isn't talked about quite as much as some other guys like Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty and Tristan Broz, but I think he has the tools to be an effective NHLer one day. His versatility helps his cause, he's good on both sides of the puck, and he's relentless on the forecheck. He can also put the puck in the back of the net.
Harding is the defenseman I'd keep an eye on. I think this guy is going to be a solid, reliable NHL defenseman, and if you're looking for a success story in development in the Penguins' pipeline, it's him. He went from a longshot seventh-round pick in 2024 to, easily, one of the top defensemen in Pittsburgh's system, and it's apparent why when you watch how effective he is in all three zones. He's a smart player and a good all-around blueliner.
He's improved his skating and mobility quite a bit, too, which was an area he self-identified last season that he wanted to work on. He's the purest form of a student of the game.
From: @Jeffs_Penguins on X Not the players who looked the best or most "flashy" but who are the Young Penguins that looked like they had Hockey IQ or showed the Hockey brain to be NHLers at the very short Training CampFinn Harding was the 1 that impressed me most in Prospect games w/ his Hockey IQ
Since you've already named Harding, I won't get into detail with him even though I agree entirely.
The two who have stood out to me so far from an IQ standpoint are Broz and Chase Pietila. Broz is not the flashiest or most exciting player, but there are few players in the whole of the Penguins' organization who play as clean a game as Broz. He's never out of position, always makes the right reads on plays, and has excellent offensive instincts in-zone.
I personally think this guy's ceiling as an NHLer is a bit undersold, to be honest, but even if he only turns out to be a good fourth-line center, his smarts in all three zones are evident. Other guys in the room will tell you that, too. He's a very cerebral player.
And same goes for Pietila. I think Pietila plays a pretty similar game to Harding with some added physicality and not as high an offensive ceiling. But there's a reason he got the second-most minutes during the Penguins' first pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, and it's because his processing is already up to NHL speed. His decision-making is quick, his breakouts are solid, and his defensive posture is impressive.
I think both he and Harding will be solid, reliable NHL defensemen, even if their ceilings are probably bottom-pair. They both have the brains and the defensive instincts to stick at the NHL level.
From: @TheAud25 on X Has Solovyov's skating improved?
Solovyov stayed in Pittsburgh all summer to train, and it shows. I do think his skating has improved marginally, but I'm not sure it's something that will distinguish or differentiate him, either.
There is a healthy competition between him, Ryan Graves, Jake Livanavage, Harrison Brunicke, and Owen Pickering for what will, presumably, be the seventh and final defensive spot on the NHL roster. Three of those guys are still better skaters.
Solovyov makes up for his shortcomings in mobility in other aspects of his game, and the coaching staff recognizes this. However, I'm not sure the skating itself will hurt his chances of securing a spot as much as the fact that they have three higher-upside players knocking on the door.
From: @GenoMalkCHIN on X Late to the party but what do you think the reasoning was to trading Wotherspoon and how do you think it could impact the team? Was it for the young guys? I thought he complemented EK v well. Was kinda bummed to see that trade.
I think the decision to trade Wotherspoon came down to two things: Vegas coveted him, and the Penguins, essentially, traded for a young, cost-controlled Wotherspoon comparable. Korczak makes $325 million for more years.
Yes, Wotherspoon had a breakout career year for the Penguins last season and complemented Erik Karlsson well, but realistically, he's probably not a regular top-pairing left defenseman. His play also tailed off in the back half of the season. There's a decent chance that, 29, had a career year with the Penguins, and Kyle Dubas simply capitalized off of that perceived maximum value.
In the grand scheme of things, I don't predict it's a loss that the Penguins - on paper, anyway - should feel that greatly, especially with three additional solid defensive defensemen in Trevor van Riemsdyk, Declan Carlile, and Kaedan Korczak. One of those guys is bound to play well enough with Karlsson.
From: @The_Gas_Man_01 on X just how big is the gap between an NHLer, a borderline player, and an AHL or lower guy? and can you spot the difference?
I love this question. In a broad sense, yes, I think you can typically spot the difference between these tiers, although the gap between an NHLer and an AHLer is quite substantial. Players will tell you it's the biggest jump for a reason, and if you tune in to an AHL game, you'll see why: things happen so very much faster at NHL speed, and the ones who are able to process plays at NHL speed are the ones who will make it.
That - for me, anyway - is the differentiating factor between an NHL regular and someone who is borderline and always being caught between levels. If someone can make quick, correct decisions against NHL competition on both sides of the puck consistently, they will make it as an NHLer. If not, they are bound to be career AHL All-Stars.
And, well, I do think there's quite a gap between an AHL All-Star and a regular AHL player, too. Typically, for forwards, production is the name of the game when examining that. For defensemen, I'd say it's how well they handle themselves at both ends of the ice.
All that said, some guys - like Pickering - simply take longer than others to fully develop, and spotting that difference is a bit more nuanced. A year ago, I may have been hesitant to call Pickering an NHLer because his processing and his footspeed simply weren't up to NHL speed. After a year of growth, both of those things have changed, and he looks far more ready.
Some guys can adapt with experience annd runway, some get it right away, and some never adapt. At the end of the day, though, it's all about that processing and decision-making.
From: @TheGM42 on X Is there a possibility that some of the free agent signings are released or traded before the opening of the season to make room for the youth movement?
From @JGardonis on X Out of the 6-7 forwards fighting for one roster spot, how many are waiver exempt?
From: @cocaine-ewok.bsky.social Do you expect any trades prior to opening night?
All of these questions are cut from a similar cloth, so I'll answer them together, starting with the second one: McGroarty, Hayes, Broz, Calvert, Brunicke, and Pickering are all waivers-exempt, and whether or not anyone will admit this, that does play a role in roster decisions, especially when so many players aren't exempt.
As far as trades, there's always a small possibility. But trades are difficult to execute during camp because - especially for guys on the fringes of rosters - why would teams surrender assets for a player when they may be able to get them at no cost at the end of camp? Unless a particular fringe player is coveted by an organization and they want to ensure they snag said player, most trades don't happen during camp.
I wouldn't rule out trades happening early in the season, though.
And, also, while I do think there's a difference between overcrowding and creating competition so players have to earn spots - I think the Penguins are teetering on the former - the young players do need to earn spots. If they show Penguins' brass that they should be on the NHL roster and leave no room for questions, they will be on the NHL roster.
Which is where waivers come in. Yes, I absolutely do think the Penguins are willing to exercise waivers on some players, and I think that will happen by the end of camp. We saw it with Graves last year. I would not be surprised to see a guy like Justin Brazeau end up there if other guys show out better.
From: @Retiredcrayon on X Since Hayes announced retirement, could we get some insight on his impact on the room last year? He seemed like a gem.
Ask any guy in that locker room, and they will tell you just how incredible a teammate and how incredible a human Hayes is. It's very rare that a veteran player who is virtually always scratched and never plays is that integral to a locker room, but Hayes was truly that much of a glue guy, which is the reason he stuck around all year.
I think a perfect example of this is when Ryan Shea told me Hayes was the one who thought to invite Ben Kindel on a trip with some other teammates, including Shea and Connor Dewar, over the Olympic break. He's a standup guy and a standup teammate, and that's not an easy thing to maintain when things aren't going your way on the ice. He could have pouted and shut himself off like many others do in that situation, but he didn't.
Read Muse's and Letang's quotes about Hayes, and that will tell you everything you need to know. He wasn't always the most chipper guy with media depending on the day and the circumstances, but he was a world-class person and teammate and a huge presence in that room. I wish him the best in retirement.
From: @genocrisp on X will anyone of the younger guys bleach part of their hair and dye it gray to stand in solidarity with salt-n-pepper sidney
I can't say for certain. What I will tell you is that Sid seems perfectly comfortable embracing the gray.
From: @Jason_Shetler on X Do you advocate pizza for breakfast?
Generally, no. For a while, I had a health condition that didn't allow me to eat red pizza, and I still can't have a ton of it before not feeling great.
That said, breakfast pizza is legit. As in, pizza with some alfredo sauce, eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, cheese... the whole deal. Give me a good actual breakfast pizza any day of the week.
From: @rsoback94 on X Bold prediction for where they finish and playoff result?
I think there are a lot of possible outcomes for this team, as is well-documented in media.
But I think folks are underselling them by a good margin.
So many people say last year's playoff berth was a "fluke," and maybe when looking at the bigger picture, that's true to an extent. But as far as the team itself being fluky, I very much disagree with that assessment.
This was a top-three five-on-five offensive team, it was an upper-half defensive team until about the last month and a half, it had the highest degree of difficulty in schedule post-Olympics and still made it despite that and despite not having 87 for most of that stretch, and it didn't at all ride what was below-average goaltending for most of the year.
Despite losing Anthony Mantha, they added Andrei Kuzmenko and Nick Robertson, who should account for that deficit. Kindel is a year older and stronger. They added three pretty good defensive defensemen. They have a wildcard situation in net but with a promising Sergei Murashov this time.
I think this team, on paper, is better than last year's. Carolina and Washington are the two best in the division, but I'd say the Penguins finish third, and I think they beat the Capitals in a first-round series.
Hutson got an audition last season with the Capitals, recording 10 points in 14 games after spending two seasons at Boston University. He's Lane Hutson's brother and shows the same skill level. He'll get opportunites with Rasmus Sandin out.
4. Anton Frondell, Chicago Blackhawks
He was named the best forward at the world junior championships after winning a gold medal with Sweden. Frondell played in Sweden's top league and had 12 points in nine games with Chicago at the end of last season. He'll get his share of ice time, especially with Bedard out early.
The Maple Leafs are giving the 2026 No. 1 overall pick a chance for early success. He has been skating with John Tavares and William Nylander in training camp and is on the second power play unit.
The Sharks jumped up to No. 2 in the 2026 draft during the lottery and grabbed a player who was in the mix for first overall. Stenberg played in the top Swedish league, getting 33 points in 43 games. He also was a standout in the world junior championships, especially in the gold medal game.
A Flyers player has never won the Calder Trophy, and he could be the first. Martone got solid NHL experience at the end of the 2025-26 season after finishing his junior hockey career. He played nine regular season games, recording 10 points. Then he played two round of the playoffs, finishing with five points in 10 games. He's built for the NHL at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds.
Others to watch: Roman Kantserov, Blackhawks; James Hagens, Bruins; Konsta Helenius, Sabres; Viggo Bjorck, Jets; Ilya Protas, Capitals.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) tends net in the preseason NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres on September 21, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Back on PPG Paints Arena ice for the first time since April, the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their preseason slate with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Sergei Murashov got the nod in goal and pitched a shutout, stopping 13 shots, in his 30 minutes of action before Joel Blomqvist took over. Connor Dewar, Bryan Rust, Avery Hayes, and Elmer Soderblom were the goal scorers. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points…
It will be a quick turnaround for the Penguins with the Detroit Red Wings coming to town for the second preseason game later tonight right back at PPG. It will an entirely different roster suiting up for the Penguins, featuring Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin along with twin brothers Liam and Markus Ruck. [Penguins]
It’s pretty remarkable, that even over two decades into his NHL career, Sidney Crosby remains one of the best hockey players on the planet. NHL Network has Crosby ranked at No. 12 on their annual list of the 50 best players in the league. [Pensburgh]
If you’re going to get injured, might as well do so before the season starts to lessen the impact of how many games you’ll miss. It was announced on Monday that Blake Lizotte is going to be week-to-week with an upper-body ailment. [Pensburgh]
With fewer preseasons games to make your case for the Penguins roster, every time out will be important and those lineup battles started to take shape last night against the Sabres and will continue through the week as the preseason rolls along. [Penguins]
After posting a career season in 2025-26, Justin Brazeau is back for an encore with the Penguins this season, but his job is anything but locked down at the moment, and he’ll once again have to earn his place in the Penguins lineup with a strong preseason. [Trib Live]
There was some shuffling along with blue line this offseason for the Penguins, with a few familiar faces leaving for other opportunities with new faces coming in to take their place. One of those new faces is Trevor van Riemsdyk who brings a strong, veteran presence to the back end. [Penguins]
Former Penguins forward Kevin Hayes announced his retirement from hockey on Monday following a 12-year NHL career. After spending two seasons with the Penguins, Hayes signed with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL last month but has decided to retire after only five games. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
Sam Steel could have opted to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but instead has decided to reup with the Dallas Stars a year early with a new four-year contract extension that will begin next season. [Sportsnet]
There will be some big names up for the Calder Trophy this season, including top overall pick Gavin McKenna. Outside of the preseason front runners, there are some under the radar rookies who could put together big seasons and spoil the coronation. [The Hockey News]
The Boston Bruins returned to the playoffs in the 2025-26 NHL season after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign that saw the Original Six franchise finish with the league’s fifth-worst record.
The turnaround was powered by many different players. David Pastrnak tallied his fourth straight 100-point season. Morgan Geekie scored a career-high 39 goals. Charlie McAvoy posted a career-high 61 points. Young forwards such as Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdnov showed improvement.
But no player made a more significant impact than Jeremy Swayman.
The 27-year-old goalie had a bounce-back season. He was voted a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time in his career, earned a spot on Team USA’s Olympic gold medal-winning roster and established himself as an elite goaltender.
Swayman posted a 31-18-4 record with a .908 save percentage and a 2.71 GAA. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but the analytics painted a very different (and more favorable) picture.
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If the Bruins are going to make it back to the playoffs in the upcoming campaign, they’ll need great goaltending again. They did not defend at a high level on a consistent basis last season. The B’s ranked 27th in shots against, 27th in scoring chances against and 29th in high-danger chances allowed in all situations, per Natural Stat Trick. They also went to the penalty kill a league-high 278 times. Swayman helped the Bruins overcome these defensive issues. He bailed out his teammates’ mistakes a lot.
Maybe the Bruins’ defense will be better this season. They added defensemen Will Borgen and Connor Clifton in the offseason. Hampus Lindholm is healthy. Frederic Brunet could inject some youth and playmaking ability on the back end. But relying on Swayman to overcome worrisome defending again and again is not an ideal strategy for long-term success.
The Atlantic could be the most competitive division in the league this season. Six of the eight teams, including the Bruins, have a realistic shot at the playoffs.
Four of the top eight teams in goals scored last season were in the Atlantic — Lightning (No. 4), Sabres (No. 5), Canadiens (No. 7), Senators (No. 8) — and that doesn’t include the Panthers, who are healthy again after being decimated by injuries a year ago. They also added top-six forward Brady Tkachuk in the offseason. The crazy amount of offensive skill in the Atlantic will make goaltending even more important for a team like the Bruins.
Even though the Bruins finished 10th in goals scored last season, you could still argue that they do not have the offensive firepower to win high-scoring games on a consistent basis, and therefore will need great goaltending again. The B’s scored the second-most goals above expected last season, per MoneyPuck. Several players had a career-high shooting percentage. It’s fair to wonder if last season’s surprising scoring uptick was an outlier and if a regression is coming.
We did see a steep regression in the playoffs. The B’s scored an average of 1.25 goals over the last four games of their first-round series versus the Sabres. They needed Swayman to be almost perfect to win that series, and he gave them a chance, including a brilliant performance in a Game 5 overtime win on the road. The regular season is not the playoffs, but it would be foolish to just assume that Boston’s offensive improvement from last season will continue.
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jeremy Swayman and David Pastrnak celebrate a playoff win.
Swayman posted great numbers while playing a career-high 55 games last season. Only eight goalies played more games than him. Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Mammoth was the only goalie to appear in 60-plus games.
Managing Swayman’s workload to keep him fresh but also maximize his production will be an important task for head coach Marco Sturm and his staff. He was asked about it last week.
“We’ll see, time will tell,” Sturm said at a press conference. “He had a pretty good run last year, and that’s why there’s a lot of nights we even talk about who’s going to be in net the other night or the next night. Sometimes we had to go with him because he was pretty hot for a while, so hopefully he’s going to have stretches like this again, regardless of who’s going to be the backup, a veteran or a young kid like Mikey [Michael DiPietro].
“We just want to give him the best opportunity, and hopefully he’s going to have another year like this, like he had last year for us, and get us a lot of good saves and a lot of points on the board.”
If the Bruins had gotten better and more consistent performances from backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo, maybe they wouldn’t have had to play Swayman in 55 games. Korpisalo tallied a lackluster .894 save percentage and a 3.15 GAA in 31 games played (28 starts). He had a few good stretches throughout the regular season, but overall, he wasn’t reliable enough.
Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers in July, and the new backup is expected to be Michael DiPietro, who excelled for the AHL’s Providence Bruins each of the previous three seasons and won the league’s MVP award last year.
DiPietro has more than earned his chance to be an NHL-level goalie. And if he can consistently give the Bruins a chance to win games while Swayman gets much-needed rest, it will significantly increase their chances of reaching the playoffs.
There are a lot of factors that will have to go right for the Bruins to make the playoffs from an ultra competitive division. One thing that has to go well is goaltending. Swayman needs to be the foundation of the team’s success. When he’s playing at the top of his game, the rest of the team gets a huge lift.
Luckily for the Bruins, Swayman has shown in the past that he’s capable of shouldering that kind of pressure. The B’s need that to continue if they’re going to build on last season’s success and get back to the second round of the playoffs.
Victor Olofsson left Las Vegas looking for a fresh start. A little more than a year later, after stops in Colorado and Calgary, he has found himself right back where it all began.
The former Colorado Avalanche forward is once again a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, returning to the organization he left in free agency after the 2024-25 season. What followed was a whirlwind stretch that included 60 games in Colorado, the birth of his second child, a trade to Calgary and, ultimately, another opportunity in the desert.
Olofsson's wife, Taylor, gave birth to the couple's second child during the Olympic break. Just over a week later, Olofsson was on the move, joining the Flames in the trade that sent Nazem Kadri back to Colorado.
Before that trade, Olofsson had put together a productive season with the Avalanche. He scored 11 goals and added 14 assists for 25 points in 60 games, including the first hat trick of his NHL career on Oct. 28.
Olofsson after recording his first hat trick as an NHL player. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing - Imagn Images
His time in Calgary was considerably shorter. Olofsson finished with two goals and four assists in 18 games before free agency provided a familiar opportunity.
Vegas signed him to a one-year contract on July 1, bringing him back to the organization where he first experienced playoff hockey.
“I had a great time here last time around,” Olofsson told Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Danny Webster. “When the opportunity came, it felt like an easy choice. It was nice and quick. Happy to be back.”
There is also a new set of wheels waiting for him.
Cadillac of Las Vegas recently shared a photo of Olofsson picking up a brand-new Cadillac Escalade, posing alongside presumably the salesman.
What better way to celebrate a return to the city of “lost wages” than by buying a brand-new car?
The Escalade is new. The opportunity in Vegas isn't.
A special congratulations to Victor Olofsson on the purchase of his Cadillac Escalade! Thank you for allowing Cadillac of Las Vegas to be part of your journey. ✨ pic.twitter.com/p8nzzAVtR6
Olofsson's first stint with the Golden Knights began with plenty of promise. He scored three goals in his first four games before a lower-body injury in October forced him to miss nearly two months.
This time, the circumstances could be different.
“I was a little bit in and out there the last time I was here,” Olofsson said. “I had a lot of good looks and chances, too, so we’ll see what happens this year. I’m ready for whatever and I’m excited.”
That is perhaps the biggest difference between Olofsson's first run with Vegas and his return. He has experienced another NHL organization, another trade and another season of trying to establish himself in a new environment.
Colorado was supposed to be a significant part of that next chapter.
Instead, Olofsson's time with the Avalanche ended before he could see the season through, with the veteran forward eventually becoming part of the trade that brought Kadri back to Denver.
Still, his 25-point season in Colorado gave him another productive stretch offensively, while his time in Vegas had already shown him what it is like to play for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
That experience appears to have remained important to him.
“The guys in the room, a lot of guys have won it one time and came close last year, too,” Olofsson said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”
For Olofsson, that goal was a major reason the decision to return to Vegas came together so quickly.
“That’s why I wanted to come back, too, was to win the Cup,” Olofsson said. “It’s always a team that’s in contention every year.”
Olofsson began his NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres after being selected 181st overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He spent six seasons in Buffalo, including a 28-goal campaign in 2022-23, before eventually moving on to Vegas.
Since leaving Buffalo, Olofsson has played for Vegas, Colorado and Calgary, giving him three different stops before ultimately bringing him back to the Golden Knights. His chapter with the Avalanche lasted just one season, but it became another part of an NHL career that has taken several unexpected turns.
Now, after everything that has changed since he first left Vegas, Olofsson has another opportunity with an organization he already knows and a goal that has remained the same: winning the Stanley Cup.
And if his return to the desert needed one final touch, a brand-new hot rod isn't a bad way to start the next chapter.
WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 26: Gabriel Vilardi #13 of the Winnipeg Jets skates during second period action against the Colorado Avalanche at Canada Life Centre on March 26, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets met at Canada Life Center in Downtown Winnipeg for a preseason matchup. Winnipeg held on to a 3-1 win, but against an Avalanche squad that sent just 8 opening-night-roster-level players.
Things got off to a slow start, as this one definitely played out like a preseason game, with both squads not sending a full onslaught of talent onto the ice. Eventually, Gabriel Vilardi opened the scoring, with an assist from Isak Rosen and Vladislav Namestnikov.
Zachary L’Heureux couldn’t play the puck effectively along the boards; it got caught behind the net, and once Christian Wolanin got it in the corner, two Jets converged on him. Isak Rosen won the puck, found Vilardi in the slot, and he fired it home.
Winnipeg’s next mark came off the stick of Cole Perfetti, who did well to wait patiently at the back door as the Jets went low to high, found a streaking Mark Scheifele, and got it over to Perfetti for an easy goal. That made it 2-0 Jets after two periods of play.
Dylan Demelo’s point blast gave Winnipeg a commanding 3-0 lead in the third period, and Brett Kulak and Fabian Lysell finally helped Georgii Merkulov earn Colorado’s lone goal of the evening, bringing us to our final score of 3-1 Jets.
I was happy to see that Fabian Lysell had an apple on Colorado’s lone tally. His arrival in Colorado has some interesting dynamics, but his skill is clear. I noticed at camp that Bednar was pretty active in communicating with Lysell, and if that can foster some maturity in Fabian, he could end up panning out.
Netminder Ilya Nabokov’s stat line wasn’t great, letting in two goals on just five shots. The group in front of him did well to limit the opportunities, but he couldn’t have done much on Perfetti’s goal. I’d imagine he’ll keep getting ice time throughout the preseason so management can get a feel for his current capabilities in the North American game.
Only four of the players that were featured tonight for the Avalanche played in preseason game number one. It’s pretty common for the big guns not to travel for a road preseason game, so I’d expect more NHL usuals to be featured on Friday when the Jets come to Ball Arena.
Upcoming
The Avalanche will get back to Colorado and, as mentioned, welcome the Winnipeg Jets to Ball Arena on Friday at 6:30 p.m. MT.
Let us know what you thought of this contest in the comments!
Dylan Garand’s group placement throughout the opening stretch of training camp has captured his uphill battle in the competition with Joonas Korpisalo to serve as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.
But Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan gave Garand a full preseason game to make his case Monday, and Garand held his own for nearly 58 minutes — with a group of mostly AHL players in front of him — against the Devils’ NHL lineup. And then Jack Hughes, with his 35 points in 26 regular-season games against the Rangers, snuck the game-winning goal past him in the Blueshirts’ 3-2 loss at Prudential Center in the exhibition opener. Garand finished with 27 saves and flashed plenty of good before Hughes’ tally with 2:12 remaining.
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“Yeah, maybe,” Garand said when asked if he thought he made a statement. “I mean I’ve just tried to, every day just try and give it my best and work hard and compete. … There’s so much out of my control, so I’m really just trying to limit that outside noise inside my head and just battle and lay it all out there.”
There were plenty of moments where the 24-year-old maximized getting a full game. With the game tied at 2 in the third period after Drew Fortescue equalized, Garand stopped Hughes when the Devils star had an open shooting lane. When New Jersey had a power play late in the first period, Garand helped the Rangers escape without allowing a goal. The Devils had shifts with strong chances, Sullivan said, and “I thought Dylan made some timely saves in those scenarios.”
The Devils produced their first goal with just over eight minutes remaining in the second period. Meier’s pass hit Dennis Cholowski and went to Nico Hischier, whose shot bounced off Urho Vaakanainen and in. Then, after Anton Blidh tied it, Meier gave the Devils the lead in the final minute of the frame when he curled around the net and snuck the puck past Garand.
Dylan Garand of the New York Rangers makes a first period save against Stefan Noesen #11 of the New Jersey Devils. Getty Images
In a condensed preseason, his three-game cameo from 2025-26 — when he produced a .948 save percentage and a 1.62 goals against average — might not be enough to avoid hitting waivers. It might be enough for the Blueshirts to endure the logistical nightmare of carrying three goaltenders going into the season.
But for nearly 60 minutes, he continued to make his case.
“We’re trying to give them an opportunity to make an impression,” Sullivan said of giving Garand a full game, “and so given the nature of the shortened training camp, less games, we just felt it was the right thing to do.”
Dylan Garand #33 of the New York Rangers makes a second period save against Arseny Gritsyuk #81 of the New Jersey Devils. Getty Images
When the Rangers worked on special teams for the first time in training camp Monday, plenty of pieces from the past remained. But there was also an element of intrigue when Pavel Dorofeyev and his left-handed shot joined Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière. Defenseman Sean Durzi quarterbacked the second unit alongside Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, and Sullivan said he thinks the unit once again “can be a difference-maker for us.”
Forward Adam Sykora and defenseman Vincent Iorio were both being evaluated for lower-body injuries, Sullivan said postgame. Sykora exited midway through the first period after taking a crushing hit in the corner and appearing to favor his right leg.
The Rangers announced that they’ll wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch as their official one this season, replacing Mark Messier’s “Game 7” patch from 2025-26.
The Chicago Blackhawks used a lot of what will be their regular-season lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night at the United Center. The Wild, for the second straight game, dressed a group of mostly AHL players.
15 seconds into the game, the Wild scored a goal to make it 1-0. Bobby Brink redirected a shot past Spencer Knight to put the Blackhawks behind. It was a goal that can be blamed on a defensive zone turnover, but those things are going to happen early in the preseason.
Eventually, the Blackhawks took a too many men on the ice penalty, which they had served by Nick Lardis. When Lardis exited the box following a good penalty kill, he stripped the puck from a Wild defender and earned himself a breakaway.
Early in the sequence, Lardis was tripped. It is unclear whether the ref was going to call a normal tripping penalty or a penalty shot, but it is a moot point because Lardis sniped home the tying goal.
During the off-season, it was known that Lardis worked on skating and strength. That was on display with the takeaway and the speed to find himself in alone. It isn't crazy to think that he can flirt with 30 goals if he stays healthy.
In the second period, the Blackhawks gave themselves a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal scored by Bowen Byram. This is his first preseason game in a Chicago sweater, and he made a great first impression with his go-ahead goal.
On the play, Sam Rinzel and Ryan Greene made a nice play to circle the puck around the offensive zone before finding Byram with a lane to the net.
With a 2-1 lead in the third period, the Blackhawks had a chance to close out their first win of the exhibition season. Results don't truly matter when the games don't count, but the NHL lineup came in expecting to beat the AHL version of the Wild.
Just 24 seconds into the third, Byram scored his second of the game to put the Blackhawks up 3-1. He was trying to make a backdoor pass to Roman Kantserov, but it deflected into the net off a Minnesota Wild defender.
Although Kantserov didn't get the goal, he did collect an assist on the play. He moved the puck to Alex Vlasic, who found Byram before it ended up being a goal.
At that point, it looked like the Blackhawks were going to walk out of the United Center with a preseason victory. But the Wild youngsters had other ideas.
Maxim Shabanov and Bobby Brink (his second of the game) added goals to tie the game tied back up at 3. It is too early to read into certain things, but the Blackhawks did have a problem with third-period leads in 2025-26.
60 minutes wasn't enough. After going to overtime back in St. Paul on Saturday, the two teams did it again in Chicago on Monday.
In overtime, the Blackhawks had the puck off the draw and never gave it up before Bowen Byram fired it home for the hat trick 29 seconds into the extra frame. The Blackhawks, with the hat trick goal by Byram, won their first game of the preseason.
It wasn't pretty, and most exhibition games aren't, but there was a lot for head coach Jeff Blashill to like. For one, Bowen Byram is an offensive defenseman who gives the Blackhawks an element they haven't had in a while. They also have forwards and complementary defensemen who will help Byram take full advantage of his skills.
First impressions are everything. He isn't going to have a hat trick, or even have a point, in every game, but he showed how much more dynamic he can make the team overall.
The Chicago Blackhawks are past their two preseason games against the Minnesota Wild. Now, they have a home and home with the St. Louis Blues to close out the preseason. The next game will be on Thursday, when they pay a visit to St. Louis for preseason game 3.
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In a tightly contested pre-season where prospects are typically at the forefront, a longtime Pittsburgh Penguins' veteran drove the bus for the team in game one.
Forward Bryan Rust notched a goal and two assists as the Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres, 4-1, in their first pre-season game of 2026. The win gives them six consecutive victories in the pre-season, which, according to Penguins' historian Bob Grove, is tied for the third-longest streak in franchise history.
Rust was joined on the scoresheet by Connor Dewar, Avery Hayes, and Elmer Soderblom, who secured the win at the end with an empty-net goal from just above the goal line. Jake Richard scored the lone goal for the Sabres, which came on a power play late in the second period.
All in all, it was a complete effort to start what is a short pre-season as well as a condensed one. The Penguins play the Detroit Red Wings at home Tuesday before going on the road to face the Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and Friday.
"The coaches are making sure we know that, when you blink, camp's going to be over," Hayes said. "You don't want to regret anything, you kind of want to attack every day with the mindset that you don't know what's coming tomorrow. So, you just gotta attack every day with 100 percent."
Midway through the first period, Andrei Kuzmenko - playing on a line with Ben Kindel and Rust until Kindel didn't come out for the second period - fed a puck to Rust, who attacked the offensive zone with purpose. He stickhandled his way through several Sabres and left one on a platter for Dewar, who ripped it home from the slot to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
The score remained 1-0 until midway through the second period, when Buffalo took a pair of penalties to give the Penguins a brief five-on-three. Just 18 seconds into the five-on-three, a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play from Kris Letang to Hendrix Lapierre to Rust, waiting in the low slot area, made it 2-0.
After the late goal by Richard, the Penguins were in the offensive zone with time waning in the middle frame. With less than five seconds to go, Hayes forced a turnover by Sabres' defenseman Dennis Gilbert behind the net and looped to just above the goal line, where he sniped a top-shelf shot over the right shoulder of goaltender Alex Lyon to restore the two-goal lead, which the Penguins were able to protect the rest of the way.
"It's just an extra effort play with almost no time left in the period," Rust said. "Those things can be momentum-killers if you're the one it happens against, or it can be a momentum-builder. And, I think for us, that was huge.
"Obviously, it's a pre-season game, but you can see that he just outworked everybody on the ice, and then he sniped. The more he does that, the more he's going to impact this team in just the most positive way."
Here are a few notes and observations from game one of the pre-season:
- Rust was the best player in this game, and it wasn't particularly close. Throughout the entirety of camp so far, he's arguably been the most noticeable player, which says a lot about the 34-year-old veteran.
It's been said many times that he possesses a lot of Crosby-like qualities. His effort in training camp as if he's still a kid trying to make the team is one of them, and it sets a great example for the younger guys, like Hayes, trying to make this team.
'Leadership' can be an overstated quality, but that's not the case with Rust. He is a true leader for this locker room in every sense of the word.
- As mentioned before, Kindel did not return for the second period after sustaining a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Muse could not provide an update on Kindel after the game, as he is still being evaluated.
Obviously, this would be a huge loss for the Penguins if he misses any chunk of time. He looked shot out of a cannon in that first period, and it would be yet another blow to their center depth with Blake Lizotte already out week-to-week.
- That said, this is exactly why having so much forward depth is a net positive for the Penguins. And the guy who took Kindel's place on that line, Tristan Broz, got a chance to show out for the final two periods between Kuzmenko and Rust.
And he was really, really, solid out there. He looks comfortable in all three zones, he's a smart player who almost always makes clean reads, and he's got a rocket of a shot, too. He looked right at home on that first power play unit.
"He was good," Rust said. "You can tell he's a really good hockey player. Thinks the game at a high level, makes really good plays out there. I think the more he gets comfortable, the better he's going to be."
If Lizotte is not ready to go for the season-opener, I think Broz has a nice path to fill that role. And, if Kindel is out, you can pretty much pencil him in for an NHL roster spot to begin the season along with Filip Hallander, who also had a nice showing Monday.
- To go back to Hayes for a second, I predicted that this guy would crack the opening night roster because his play in these games would force the organization's hand at keeping him up.
I'll stand by that. Hayes just has that extra gear, and he's a type of feisty and relentless yet skilled bottom-six player that the Penguins have lacked for a good spell.
- This was a good performance by both Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, who split the game. Murashov stopped all 12 shots he faced, while Blomqvist stopped 10 of 11 and didn't really have much of a chance on the goal, as he appeared to be screened a bit.
The battle between these two through four days has been a legitimate one. Both looked comfortable, poised, and ready to go.
- Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke were relatively quiet as a pairing in this one. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Both - especially Pickering - look substantially better defensively than they did at this time last year. Pickering made all the right decisions Monday, his gap control was excellent, and he was counted upon on the penalty kill and in defensive situations, handling it like a champ.
As for Brunicke, there was a small but telling third-period play with around 12 minutes left. He went to pinch down the right wall on a puck, but glanced over his shoulder to make sure he was covered before fully committing. It sounds like something so simple, but that's not something he was doing last year. In fact, his decision-making as far as joining the rush and jumping into the play was pretty much perfect on Monday.
Both look NHL-ready. Even if they start the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), it won't be long before they're full-time NHLers.
- Of note, Ryan Graves led all Penguins' skaters in ice time Monday with 22:33. This wasn't a bad performance by Graves, even if he didn't stand out.
But second in ice time? That would be Chase Pietila, who played an excellent game. I feel like there aren't too many people who are talking about this guy, but he is so smart on the blue line, very risk-averse, and solid as a rock defensively.
He's someone to watch in WBS this season. He's not flashy, but he does all the right things.
Those two will be interesting to watch in this one, as they will be surrounded by NHL regulars. If I was a betting person, I'd wager that Calvert centers the Rucks, but we shall see.
Of note, a forward and a defenseman have to be scratched. Hopefully, one of the twins isn't the odd guy out.
The Senators opened their abbreviated preseason schedule with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Monday night’s Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières, Que.
Cole Caufield scored twice for Montreal, tying the game midway through the third period before delivering the dagger in overtime.
The crowd inside Colisée Vidéotron was firmly behind the Canadiens, but the Senators briefly took the wind out of their sails in the early moments.
Senators sign autographs on the morning of Kraft Hockeyville and their game against Montreal on Monday.
Newcomer William Eklund wasted no time endearing himself to Sens Nation, scoring just 89 seconds into his first preseason appearance with the Sens. Eklund fed the puck to Dylan Cozens, who sprinted behind the net and then slipped a gorgeous feed back to Eklund, who finished the play to give the Senators an early 1-0 lead.
But Montreal completely controlled the rest of the period, responding three minutes later when defenseman Jayden Struble beat Samuel Ersson with a low short-side shot to tie the game.
The score remained deadlocked until late in the second period, when Cozens went from setup man to scorer. His first of the preseason restored the Sens' lead and capped a two-point night for the Workhorse.
The Senators carried that 2-1 advantage into the third period, until Caufield went to work. His tying goal was a harmless-looking shot along the ice, but it somehow eluded Sens goalie Samuel Ersson, who may have been anticipating a cross-crease pass instead.
Caufield's game-winning goal came on a hard, low wrist shot under the stick of Ridly Greig and past Ersson.
Both teams dressed fairly strong NHL lineups, but the game was filled with glitchy moments, which is standard for a preseason opener. That was particularly evident on special teams.
Montreal finished 1-for-6 on the power play, while Ottawa went 0-for-4.
The Habs controlled much of the play on the night, outshooting the Sens 36-20. Ersson went the distance in his first appearance and turned aside 33 shots, and Travis Green told reporters after the game that he was the Sens' best player on the night.
The Senators will be back in action Wednesday night with a pair of split-squad games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most of the Sens' top players are expected to remain at home to face Toronto at Canadian Tire Centre, while the rest of the group will visit the Maple Leafs. Both games begin at 7 p.m.
The Sens will then get another go at the Habs when the teams close out their preseason schedules Saturday night. That will also be a split-squad arrangement, with games taking place simultaneously in Ottawa and Montreal at 7 p.m.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest THN Ottawa headlines below:
Hockey is officially back for the Detroit Red Wings, who wrapped up Training Camp this week, and opened the abbreviated preseason schedule with a Monday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
With a lineup consisting largely of young players competing for roster spots, the Red Wings fell 1-0 to the Blue Jackets in a shootout at Nationwide Arena.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson, and John Leonard were all denied by Blue Jackets goaltender Pheonix Copley in the shootout following a scoreless overtime.
The only puck that entered the net in the entire contest was courtesy of Columbus forward Conor Garland, who beat Michal Postava with a blocker-side shot.
Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, whom the Red Wings signed to a one-year contract earlier in the summer, played the first 40 minutes of the night and turned aside all 15 shots he faced; he was replaced as planned for the third period by Postava.
Meanwhile, Jet Greaves stopped all 16 Detroit shots for Columbus before giving way in the third to Copley.
Notably, Postava channeled his inner Dominik Hasek late in the third period when he raced well beyond the slot to corral the puck, colliding with Blue Jackets forward Josh Eernisse and sending him flying head over heels in a near carbon copy of a December 2007 play involving the Hall of Fame goaltender and Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik.
The Red Wings registered 11 shots in the first period but managed just five in the second and two in the third; they didn't record a shot during the five-minute overtime.
While Detroit went scoreless in three power-play opportunities, they killed off all five Columbus chances with the man-advantage.
Among the Red Wings regulars who saw action were J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Keegan Kolesar; Rasmussen led all Red Wings players with five shots.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and John Leonard had two shots each. Meanwhile, Dominik Shine and Kienan Draper each picked up five-minute fighting majors.
Detroit will be right back in action Tuesday night when it visits the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena; their first home preseason game will be Thursday against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres.
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When the Rangers worked on special teams for the first time in training camp Monday, plenty of pieces from the past remained. Adam Fox quarterbacked the top unit. Mika Zibanejad was perched on the flank on his one-timer side. They’re the constants that have transcended coaches. Two others from the top line last year — when the Blueshirts finished with the No. 5 clip in the league — returned too: J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafrenière.
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But there was also an element of intrigue. A bit of unknown, when Pavel Dorofeyev and his left-handed shot replaced Vincent Trocheck and his right-handed one. Defenseman Sean Durzi, who was acquired in the Trocheck trade in July, quarterbacked the second unit alongside Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen. And head coach Mike Sullivan said he thinks the unit once again “can be a difference-maker for us.”
“The power play was one of the bright spots of our team last year fairly consistently,” Sullivan said Monday after the non-game group — with mostly NHL players — practiced ahead of the preseason opener against the Devils. “It took us a little while to get it going [at] the beginning of the year versus after that. I thought the second half of the year in particular was excellent.
“We lost a right-handed shot versus a lefty, and that’s gonna change some of the things that we do with it. But very capable guys. I think they have an opportunity to be very impactful for our team.”
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) during the team’s training camp, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, N.Y. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Still, it’ll serve as a significantly different unit from the ones that featured Artemi Panarin ripping shots into the net or Chris Kreider hovering at the net front or Trocheck roaming in the bumper. But the power play, after dipping to No. 28 in the league (17.6 percent) in the final year of Peter Laviolette, experienced a revival — even with all the shifting parts — in 2025-26 under Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn.
The Rangers unveiled their first unit Monday with Miller in the bumper and Lafrenière at the net front — a spot where he thrived late last season. That left Dorofeyev, who scored 20 goals with the man advantage last year with the Golden Knights, to operate on the other flank. The first pair of reps from the top unit Monday ended with goals from Zibanejad and Lafrenière too.
“To be away from it for so long and then coming back and feeling like it’s kinda clicking, it was good,” Zibanejad told The Post. “Obviously will be up and down throughout the season and score when we don’t deserve it and not score when we probably deserve it a little bit more. We know the story. We know how this usually works.”
New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad (93) during training camp Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Greenburgh, N.Y. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Rangers announced that they’ll wear a Garden of Dreams Foundation patch as their official one this season, replacing Mark Messier’s “Game 7” patch from 2025-26.
“It was an honor to have Game 7 as our Jersey Patch Partner last season, given our relationship with Rangers legend Mark Messier, and look forward to featuring the Foundation this year,” a Rangers spokesperson said in a statement.
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