The Rangers have just about set up their roster ahead of NHL Opening Night, and it appears that rookie Alberts Smits will remain in the mix.
Smits, of course, landed in New York as the fifth overall pick this year.
He was viewed by many as one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the entire class, but it was uncertain if the Rangers would carry him heading into the year.
Head coach Mike Sullivan made it clear at the beginning of training camp, though, that the youngster would have every opportunity to play his way onto the roster.
Smits did just that, fitting right in throughout the rookie scrimmages and pro camp before more than holding his own in game action during preseason play.
Now, he’s officially set to begin his career with the Blueshirts.
The 18-year-old will start the season with Braden Schneider on the third pair, as he’s done throughout camp.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have claimed defenseman Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Sunday, and defenseman Adam Jiricek was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League.
Barron, 24, spent the past two seasons with the Nashville Predators and has one year remaining on a contract with a cap hit/average annual value of $1.575 million before he can become a restricted free agent at the end of the current season.
The Blues are already down a defenseman, with Tyler Tucker (tweaked right knee) sidelined a week to this point and potentially could miss more time; they have 32-year-old Calle Rosen up as insurance as the seventh defenseman on the 23-man roster, which needs to be submitted to the league by 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
Rosen and goalie Georgii Romanov were placed on waivers by the Blues on Sunday.
Barron is 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and is a first-round pick (No. 25) in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche who had nine assists in 52 games with the Predators last season; he also spent two-plus seasons with the Montreal Canadiens from 2022-25.
Barron has 52 points (18 goals, 34 assists) in 208 career regular-season NHL games and is expected to be on the 23-man roster that must be submitted by Monday and presumably will be on the practice ice on Monday as well ahead of the Blues departing on a team bonding trip for a few days to Austin, Texas ahead of their season-opener Friday against the Dallas Stars.
The Blues, depending on Mailloux's injury, have decided to opt for experience but have also brought up Jiricek, a 2024 first-round pick who had a really solid camp before being sent down to the Thunderbirds on Friday.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Sunday that they signed defenseman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract. According to PuckPedia, the deal is worth $1.4 million, converting the 28-year-old’s professional tryout into a roster contract two days before opening night.
Last season was the best offensive year of Blankenburg’s career. He recorded eight goals and 24 points in 61 games between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, averaging 16:48 per night. He had 21 points in 49 games with Nashville before a March deadline trade to Colorado, then added three points in 12 regular-season games and a goal in five playoff appearances. For his NHL career, the undrafted University of Michigan product has 18 goals and 58 points in 176 games with Columbus, Nashville and Colorado. He is 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, a right shot who has never been defined by size.
Head coach Jim Hiller, seemingly impressed with the player's camp, stated that Blankenburg is an NHL defenseman. The Leafs were fortunate he was available on a tryout. The $1.4 million number, negotiated with agent Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey, is more than the league minimum some fans wanted, but it is still a depth price for a player coming off career-high production.
The signing does not come without cap work. PuckPedia projects Toronto $3.808 million over the $104 million upper limit once Blankenburg’s hit is on the books. The club has to be compliant when it files an opening roster by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s season opener.
🖊️ We’ve signed defenceman Nick Blankenburg to a one-year contract
The most direct path is long-term injured reserve. Max Domi, who has not been on the ice in camp while recovering from complications stemming from offseason surgery, carries a $3.75 million cap hit. PuckPedia’s model has the Leafs submitting an opening roster with Domi and William Villeneuve ($68,000 season-opening IR charge) on LTIR and coming within about $10,000 of an optimal LTIR capture.
With Blankenburg signed for 1.4M, #Leafsforever are 3.808M projected over the cap. They can submit an opening roster with Domi (3.75M) and Villeneuve (68K SOIR) on LTIR and come within $10K of an optimal LTIR capture. https://t.co/gG2oRpjZ3A
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The New York Islanders demoted defenseman Isaiah George to the Hamilton Hammers on Sunday morning, making George one of the final cuts for the NHL team.
Additionally, the team signed veteran defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year deal to take George's place.
Entering camp, there was a roster spot built in for George, with the only true competition coming from Matthew Kessel for a roster spot.
As it turns out, the Islanders appear set to carry 13 forwards and 8 defensemen to start the year, as Kessel has not been announced for waivers Sunday afternoon, ensuring he makes Monday's roster submission.
Elsewhere on Long Island, George's camp left almost everyone disappointed. The Islanders went out and added Stanley on the eve of the season, while George missed out on the roster entirely.
Couple that with Stanley's signing, along with Kashawn Aitcheson's breakout camp, some could see this as a potential closing of the NHL door for George.
Do not count Islanders' Head Coach Peter DeBoer in that camp.
DeBoer launched a passionate defense of George after practice on Sunday.
"I think disappointment's the wrong word," DeBoer said. "I ran the defense at the Olympics this year for Canada. We had Devon Toews, who everyone here is familiar with. Devon played three years of college hockey and 125 American League games [before breaking out]. Isaiah George is younger and has played 70 American League games.
"This isn't a disappointment," DeBoer continued. "It's a journey to become an NHL defenseman, and he took a step. I'm sure he learned a lot in training camp. We sat down and asked what's best for his development: giving him the opportunity to continue growing, or having him sit in the stands or play limited minutes?"
It's very easy for anyone involved in hockey to be staring directly at the puzzle, and not take a look back from 1,000 feet.
If the Islanders were not committed to playing George consistently, it makes no sense to carry him on the NHL roster to sit in the press box.
It's also not beneficial to force things on a defender, like the Islanders sometimes did with Samuel Bolduc.
Bolduc found his way on the roster, spent long stretches as the team's seventh defenseman and by the time he got into the game, lost confidence and struggled mightily.
The Islanders can't afford to have that happen again.
"You can't rush those things, particularly with defensemen," DeBoer said. "There's zero disappointment. It's an opportunity for more growth. Hopefully, the next time he comes up, he's a little bit better, and eventually he's a regular."
If DeBoer has it his way, this is not the end of the story for George. Just a speed bump.
As the National Hockey League opens the regular season on Tuesday, the Buffalo Sabres added some defensive depth with the signing of veteran Matt Grzelcyk, but did not go down the road of bringing back big blueliner Logan Stanley. The 28-year-old former Winnipeg first-rounder was acquired from the Jets along with Luke Schenn by the Sabres for Isak Rosen, Jacob Bryson, and two draft picks at the trade deadline, and played mostly in a third-pairing role, posting five assists in 17 regular-season games, and was in the lineup for eight of Buffalo’s 13 playoff games.
Coming off a career-high 26 points last season, and with a very thin crop of defensive free agents on the market, Stanley was in a prime position to get overpaid and get some term on a deal, but clearly he and his representatives overplayed their hand. On Sunday, the New York Islanders signed the veteran blueliner to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, giving him a landing spot for the year and an opportunity to prove last season was not a fluke.
In other former Sabres news, 2016 first rounder Alex Nylander was placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames. The 28-year-old played all of last season for the Toronto Marlies and won a Calder Cup on an AHL contract. Nylander signed a PTO with the Flames and earned an NHL deal, but has to clear waivers to be sent to the AHL Wranglers.
Noah Ostlund signs an eight-year extension with the Sabres
Another former Sabre, defenseman Casey Fitzgersld, was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers. Earlier in the week, as NHL clubs were cutting down to 23 players, other ex-Buffalo products Riley Stillman (Edmonton), Eric Comrie (San Jose), Zac Jones (Utah), and Viktor Neuchev (Carolina) all cleared waivers and were sent down to the AHL.
The Tampa Bay Lightning dealt another former Sabre, goalie Jonas Johansson to the Ottawa Senators for future considerations. Johansson, 31, went 11-10-2, with a 3.29 GAA and .884 save % last season, but lost the backup battle with Dennis Hildeby. He now replaces youngster Leevi Merilainen, who was claimed by the Vancouver Canucks.
Looking to bolster their blueline, the Islanders have signed Logan Stanley to a one-year deal.
New York had a need for another left-handed defenseman on their NHL roster after sending young Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson down to AHL Hamilton to begin the season.
Stanley fills that hole and brings them some much-needed size on the backend.
The 6-foot-8 defenseman skated in 76 regular season games with the Jets and Sabres last season, then appeared in eight more during the playoffs with Buffalo.
His game his built around his size, but he did chip in more offensively last year.
Stanley started the year on a career-best pace, producing 21 of his 26 points over 59 games with Winnipeg.
He'll likely be a step or two behind to start the season having signed so close to Opening Night, but could slide right into their defensive rotation once he gets fully up to speed.
New York opens their season Wednesday night against the Leafs.
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) — The New York Islanders signed defenseman Logan Stanley to a contract for this season, and he joined them for practice on Sunday.
They added the 28-year-old left-handed shooter late in training camp after sending young Kashawn Aitcheson and Isaiah George to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton. George was considered a possibility to win a full-time roster spot at 22 after playing four games last season and 33 in 2024-25.
Stanley skated in 76 games last regular season for Winnipeg and Buffalo, then eight more in the playoffs with the Sabres. He has played in more than 300 NHL games since making his debut with the Jets in 2021.
The NHL's shortened preseason is over. Now the longer-than-usual regular season will get underway.
The 2026-27 NHL season was increased from 82 games to 84 in the collective-bargaining agreement so teams could play an even number of games against divisional opponents.
As a result, the season will open in September instead of its usual October starting date.
The first game will feature the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes raising their Stanley Cup banner before they play the Florida Panthers, who won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. The runner-up Vegas Golden Knights will also be in action on opening night, facing the Chicago Blackhawks.
Here's a look at opening night and key dates for the 2026-27 NHL season:
When does the NHL season open?
The 2026-27 NHL season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 29 with five games, including an ESPN tripleheader.
Here's the full opening schedule, plus every team's home opener (all times Eastern):
The @NHL announced today the 2026-27 regular season, expanded to 84 games with the addition of two more divisional contests per team, will open on Tuesday, Sept. 29. In addition, the League announced each team’s home opener.
NHL teams have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 28 to submit their opening-day rosters. They must be compliant with the $104 million salary cap.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are among the teams that were over on Saturday, but they should be OK after placing 11-year veteran Miles Wood on waivers. More players will go on waivers on Sunday.
The New York Islanders signed defenseman Logan Stanley to a one-year contract on Sunday.
Key dates during 2026-27 NHL season
Sept. 29: Opening night
Oct. 25: The Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens will play in the outdoor Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
Nov. 9: Patrice Bergeron, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Cindy Curley, Keith Tkachuk and Brian Burke will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Nov 12 and 14: The Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will play in Helsinki, Finland.
Dec. 18 and 20: The Ottawa Senators and Blackhawks will play in Dusseldorf, Germany
Dec. 31: The Winter Classic will be held at University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The Utah Mammoth will host the Colorado Avalanche.
Feb. 5-6: The NHL All-Star weekend will held at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The skills competition is on the 5th and the All-Star Game will be on the 6th. There are new formats this season.
March 1: NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET
April 10: The regular season ends with all 32 teams in action.
On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Penguins moved a handful of players to injured reserve ahead of Monday's 5:00 p.m. final roster deadline.
Forward Blake Lizotte (upper-body, day-to-day), forward Justin Brazeau (lower-body, week-to-week), forward Ben Kindel (lower-body, week-to-week), and defenseman Ryan Graves (lower-body, indefinitely) were placed on injured reserve, clearing up four roster spots for the Penguins ahead of opening night on Sept. 30 against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In addition, the team announced that forwards Bryan Rust (upper-body) and Tristan Broz (lower-body) - presumably, both injured during Saturday's 3-1 pre-season finale win over the Buffalo Sabres - would not practice with the team Sunday are being evaluated.
Lizotte practiced with the team Sunday.
The news came after three more players were re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), which were forward Bill Zonnon, defenseman Harrison Brunicke, and goaltender Joel Blomqvist. Taking out the players placed on IR, the Penguins are down to 25 players on their active training camp roster.
If Rust and Broz are added to injured reserve, that would trim the NHL active roster down to the set maximum of 23.
Of note, forwards Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Filip Hallander all remain part of the active camp roster, as does defenseman Ilya Solovyov, who figures to occupy the seventh and final defensive slot to start the season. With Brunicke sent back, it appears the Penguins will elect to keep 14 forwards as opposed to eight defensemen if they decide to max out their roster.
The Penguins will have a day off Monday, which is when the final NHL roster will likely be submitted to the NHL's Central Registry.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 4 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Jersey #4 is one of the more popular numbers to be worn.
Let's take a look at who wore 4, and where they are now
Lyle Odelein - 2001-2002 - Drafted by Montreal in 1986.
The first-ever Captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Odelein played 146 games and had 33 points. He retired in 2006 as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bryan Berard - 2006-2007 - Drafted by Ottawa in 1995.
Berard played 55 games as a Blue Jacket and had 35 points. The former #1 overall pick in 1995 had an up-and-down career and retired in 2009 after playing a year in the KHL.
Clay Wilson - 2008-2009 - Undrafted out of
Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota.
Wilson played 7 games in Columbus and had three points. He retired in 2020 after playing one season in Ukraine.
Nathan Paetsch - 2010 - Drafted by Washington in 2001 and then drafted by Buffalo in 2003. (re-entry)
He played 10 games as a Jacket and had zero points. He never played another NHL game after Columbus and retired in 2019 after spending several seasons in the AHL.
Sami Lepistö - 2011 - Drafted by Washington in 2004.
Lepistö played 19 games and had 5 points. He left for Europe in 2012 and played there until he retired in 2023.
John Moore - 2012-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2009.
Moore played only 86 games in Columbus and scored 8 points. On April 3, 2013, the New York Rangers included Moore in the deal that brought Marián Gáborík to Columbus.
He last played for the Anaheim Ducks.
On March 19, 2022, Moore was involved in a trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks along with Urho Vaakanainen in exchange for Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks then attempted to trade both Moore and the rest of Ryan Kesler's contract to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick at the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022. However, the deal was disputed due to a no-trade clause in Dadonov's contract. On March 23, the NHL officially cancelled the trade; therefore, Moore remained in the Ducks' organization.
Kevin Connauton - 2015-2016 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2009.
Connauton played 81 games and has 27 points as a CBJ. He currently plays for the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL.
Scott Harrington - 2018-2022 - Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2011
Harrington played 185 games for the Blue Jackets after being traded to Columbus by Toronto with a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft for Kerby Rychel on June 25, 2016. Those 185 games would be spread out over six seasons, with 2018-19 being the year he played the most games at 73. He scored 7 goals and totaled 37 points in his career with Columbus, with the 18-19 season being his most productive with 17.
During his time in the Columbus organization, he would also play 52 games for the Cleveland Monsters, scoring 7 total points.
Harrington signed with San Jose in 2022 and was then traded to New Jersey in February of 2023. New Jersey would then put him on waivers a few days later, where he would be picked up by Anaheim and play 17 games.
In 2023, Harrington would leave for Europe and play for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss League. After playing just 14 games in 23-24, he would return to North America for the 24-25 season and play for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.
Harrington is signed to play with the
Belleville Senators of the AHL for this season.
Vladislav Gavrikov - 2023 - Gavrikov was drafted in the 6th round of the 2015 NHL Draft.
Gavrikov played 256 games for the Jackets over the course of 4 seasons. He totaled 15 goals and 73 points. Gavrikov is widely considered one of the best late-round picks to ever play for the Jackets, despite his short time in Columbus. He played great defense and would always seem to show up on the scoreboard.
After he signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract extension with the Blue Jackets in November of 2020, former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen decided to trade Gavrikov to the LA Kings in March of 2023. A decision that a lot of CBJ hated and wondered why it happened. Kekäläinen knew Gavrikov was going to want a hefty raise and didn't want to pay him.
Gavrikov signed a two-year extension with LA just a couple of months after the trade. In the summer of 2025, Gavrikov would get his big contract. He signed a 7-year, $49-million deal with the New York Rangers, which will take him into his mid-30s.
Cole Sillinger - 2024-2025 -Drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Silinger wore #34 for two years before switching to #4 before the 23-24 season. It's hard to believe that Cole Sillinger is going into his 6th NHL Season already.
After scoring 31 points as a rookie, his second season was anything but good. Totaling just 11 points, he only played in 64 games and was demoted to AHL Cleveland. His third season was definitely a bounce-back year for young Sillinger. He would score 13 goals and total 32 points.
Sillinger has had three career seasons straight after that bad second season. In 25-26, he set a career high with 25 assists and tied his career high in points with 25. He became more of a playmaker last year, playing with Charlie Coyle and Mathieu Olivier. That line was arguably the best line on the team for the majority of the season, and other teams' lines had a really hard time against them.
In July, the CBJ signed Sillinger to a 3-year, $13,875,000 contract to keep him in Columbus.
There are four days left until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Who was your favorite #4?
With the conclusion of training camp and the preseason behind the Chicago Blackhawks, they are starting to inch closer to cutting their roster down to its opening night state.
On Saturday, they sent Connor Mackey to the Rockford IceHogs on loan. Now, on Sunday, they announced that they have loaned forward Dillon Boucher and goalie Drew Commesso to Rockford as well.
Their roster stands at 26 players, including 16 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goaltenders. More decisions are set to be made as they prepare for Tuesday's opener versus the Vegas Golden Knights.
Mackey and Boucher were forwards that the Blackhawks had up with the team to fill some spots in preseason lineups and practice. Players with over 100 NHL games played can only play in 2 exhibition games, but the team also wanted to get its most important pro prospects to AHL camp, so Mackey and Boucher got to stay up with the NHL club a little longer.
As for Drew Commesso, it wasn't as much of a backup battle with Arvid Soderblom as some would have thought. His being on a two-way deal while Soderblom finishes out his one-way deal likely has something to do with it, but Soderblom was also excellent after some off-season adjustments. He will be the backup to Spencer Knight.
It is unlikely that the Blackhawks carry 8 defenders, and some more forward decisions are inevitable too. More transactions are on the way; stay tuned.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Brandon Bussi #32 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights in the third period of Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes finished up their preseason schedule with a dominating, 6-0 win in Nashville.
Six different players scored and 11 players had points in the thrashing. Brandon Bussi played very well as he earned the shutout making 22 saves on the 22 shots he faced.
The team looked much like the team that played so well in the playoffs.
Jackson Blake started things off just 5:02 into the game when he scored a powerplay goal from in close.
Two minutes later Jordan Martinook would score and the Canes never looked back.
Later in the opening period, Nikolaj Ehlers stole a pass and broke in alone. He made it 3-0, Carolina in the opening period. The Canes outshot the home team, 9-5 in that decisive period.
Late in the second, Blake would slip a nice pass to Logan Stankoven who made no mistake, making it 4-0. The two linemates had broken in on a 2-on-1 break.
Mark Jankowski and Andrei Svechnikov both had powerplay goals to close out the scoring in the third. The Hurricanes went 3-4 with the man advantage.
Felix Unger Sorum did not look out of place while playing with the top line and he finished with an assist. Charles Alexis Legault played 15 minutes on the blueline and finished with a (plus+1) along with a team high four blocked shots.
Blake led the team with 3 points.
The Canes look ready for their season opener against the Panthers on Tuesday night but they still have a couple of roster decisions to make.
The Montreal Canadiens players might have a day off Sunday. Still, the Habs brass will be busy making the decisions that will ultimately shape the Sainte-Flanelle’s roster for opening night on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. By 5 PM Monday, the team must submit its final 23-man, cap-compliant roster. Cap compliance won’t be an issue, but which players will make the roster?
22 players have NHL contracts, which means that, on paper, unless Kent Hughes finds a way to make room, only one extra player can get a spot. It would be surprising to see the Canadiens waive a player to make room for another; Hughes isn't in the business of losing assets for nothing, even ones that have decreased in value.
On Saturday night, Florian Xhekaj played yet another strong game against the Ottawa Senators, skating on a line with Owen Beck and Tyler Thorpe. The younger Xhekaj landed six of the 15 hits the Canadiens gave on the night, including a bone-crushing one that sent Adam Nemec back to the room and ended his worknight after a minute and 39 seconds of action. The Habs’ forward was sent to the box for two minutes for interference, a questionable call based on the result rather than the hit itself.
Xhekaj wasn’t on the ice when Djibril Toure landed a big hit that Alex Newhook felt to his core. Josh Anderson flew to the rescue, but in his eagerness, he flew in, threw his gloves off, lost his balance, and found himself pinned to the ice by Toure. As the Sens 6-foot-7 defenseman was heading to the penalty box, Xhekaj came over to have a word, no doubt telling him he had noted his number. Ultimately, he didn’t follow through on that promise, though, with the Canadiens tying the game and then taking the lead; it wasn’t the right time to get into a tussle, and the winger recognized that, which will no doubt earn him points with coach Martin St-Louis.
All through camp, Xhekaj has performed the same way with remarkable consistency, which didn’t go unnoticed by the coach:
He certainly doesn’t have an identity problem. He knows what he is and what he brings, and he brought it with consistency throughout camp.
- St-Louis on Xhekaj
As for Xhekaj himself, he feels he did everything he could to earn a spot:
I think I did almost everything I could to show them what I can do out there and how I play. So, yeah, I think I did everything.
- Xhekaj on his performance at camp
On the eve of his third professional season, there is no doubt that this has been Xhekaj’s strongest showing. At camp in 2025, he put on so much weight that it felt like he wasn’t fast enough anymore, but this time around, at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he looks like he's found his sweet spot. He’s heavy enough to bring a big physical game, and he’s strong enough to do it with pace and create opportunities by separating his man from the puck on the forecheck.
Xhekaj has shown exactly what he is and how useful he can be. The Canadiens have long needed more sandpaper up front, a line like the New York Islanders had with Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck. Xhekaj could help the Canadiens get there; he could be the first part of an identity line, but for that to happen, the Habs would need to have room.
As things stand, and with Kaiden Guhle’s injury, it stands to reason that the 23rd man will be a defenseman, more than likely David Reinbacher. It’s a shame for Xhekaj; he’s right when he says he’s done everything he could. The rest is not in his hands; it’s in Hughes’ hands. I have no doubt Xhekaj has had a better camp than Kirby Dach, but the latter has an NHL contract, and it’s hard to imagine Hughes putting him on waivers, considering what he had to give to acquire him in 2022.
Still, if Xhekaj doesn’t have a spot on the roster for opening night, it shouldn’t be long before he does. An injury, a trade- things happen during the season, and he should be the first forward recalled should the need arise.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting closer to finalizing their 23-man roster.
They made three more cuts on Sunday, sending forward Bill Zonnon, defenseman Harrison Brunicke, and goaltender Joel Blomqvist to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
None of these moves should surprise anyone, since they were all expected to start the season in the AHL. They all had great camps, but there's simply no room for them on the NHL roster right now.
The Penguins have assigned the following players to @WBSPenguins (AHL):
F Bill Zonnon D Harrison Brunicke G Joel Blomqvist
That said, there's a good chance you'll see all three of them in the NHL at some point this year. The Penguins already have a ton of injuries to begin the season and could have others pop up during the year.
Brunicke figures to play with Owen Pickering to begin the year in WBS, while Zonnon will play in the top nine. Blomqvist will be the starting goaltender after serving as the 1B behind Sergei Murashov last year.
Speaking of Murashov, he has made the NHL roster and will be behind Arturs Silovs to start the 2026-27 season.
The Penguins will open the regular season on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
