Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Quinn Beauchesne is one of the Penguins' 2025 NHL Draft picks participating in this year's training camp. 

Beauchesne, picked in the fifth round of the draft, is a brilliant skater and showcased that skill during development camp, and especially the Prospects Challenge earlier this month. He also showed that he has some snarl and was a goal away from getting a Gordie Howe hat trick in one of the Prospect Challenge games. 

He's participating in Group C during training camp, and is getting to learn from some longtime NHL veterans, including Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Beauchesne has had a lot of fun at camp thus far, but knows he has a lot to prove going forward.

"I've got a lot to prove," Beauchesne said. "Obviously, not being necessarily a high-round draft pick, just trying to put everything into every single day, every practice, every game. I don't look too far ahead, but yeah, obviously, the main goal is trying to get signed, trying to make the team coming out of here. I think I have abilities to play in the NHL, whether that's soon or in a couple of years down the road, but just trying to do absolutely everything I can."

His skating is definitely NHL-caliber, and he has a good first-pass coming out of his own zone. If he can add a little more offensive tools to his game, there's a chance he could be a well-rounded defenseman once he potentially comes up to the NHL. 

Beauchesne is set to spend the 2025-26 season with the OHL's Guelph Storm, and it will be his third season with them. He finished the 2024-25 season with six goals and 24 points in 49 games. 

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The annual Red & White game for the Detroit Red Wings was played in a non-traditional location this time around, as it was moved from Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, where the Red Wings hold Training Camp, to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, the home of their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. 

It was a prime opportunity for multiple young players within the Red Wings system to play in a game environment against NHL players, albeit their potential future Detroit teammates. 

The performance of forward Elmer Söderblom, who initially made the Red Wings roster to begin the 2022-23 NHL season but has spent the majority of his time since then with the Griffins, was what especially stood out on Sunday afternoon.

Söderblom scored twice for Team White in front of a sellout crowd of just over 10,000 fans in what was the first Red Wings game in the venue since 2011. It's also a building that he knows well from his time with the Griffins.

🚨 ELMER SODERBLOM 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WtudedqO9Q

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) September 21, 2025

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

Söderblom was thrilled to be back on the ice in Grand Rapids, noting the rocking atmosphere.

"It was real fun, it was fun to see all the fans here, a full crowd and it was unbelievable," a grinning Söderblom said afterward.

Following an intense three days of Training Camp in Traverse City, Söderblom feels that the team as a whole is shaking off the rust from the several months of the offseason.

"It feels like I've been ramping up a bit and the pices are coming together more and more," he said. "Always a little rusty from the summer with, game-wise, habits and stuff. That's why I think it's important for us to scrimmage and get some games going, I think that will really help the guys get into the habits again." 

"For me personally, it feels like it's getting better and better." 

It was Söderblom who scored his first career NHL goal on Opening Night in October 2022 with his parents in attendance at Little Caesars Arena; the goal also happened to be the first tally of the Red Wings' season. 

He'll remember this forever! It's Elmer Soderblom scores not only the first @DetroitRedWings goal of the year, but his first career NHL goal! #LGRW I @ThinkFordFirstpic.twitter.com/A7pDmunPgf

— FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (@FanDuelSN_DET) October 15, 2022

A 2019 Draft selection (159th overall) by the Red Wings, Söderblom signed two-year, $1.125 million extension with Detroit on July 2. He scored four goals with seven assists in 26 games with the Red Wings last season after being called up from the Griffins.

"Unbelievable Atmosphere": Red Wings Play In Front of Sold Out Crowd in Grand Rapids The annual Detroit Red Wings Red & White game, which is typically played at Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Mich., was moved to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. for the first time since 2011.

Naturally, he's looking forward to making more of an impact this season. 

"It felt really good to play some games last year and show what I can do, so coming into this year feels a little bit more (knowing) what I should do, and know my role and what I can bring to the team," he said. "I'm just trying to bring my game, do the things that I do good, and just make an impact that way." 

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The San Jose Sharks hosted the Vegas Golden Knights in their first preseason action of the 2025-26 season on Sunday night.

In the first period, we got our first look at head coach Ryan Warsofsky’s special teams units. Egor Afanasyev was sent to the penalty box for tripping at 5:20, and the penalty kill held strong. There were a few interesting names getting time as well. Sam Dickinson got a shot on the blue line, while Michael Misa and Will Smith were paired together on the penalty kill as well.

Alex Nedeljkovic made a phenomenal save while shorthanded as well, denying Raphael Lavoie on a cross-crease attempt. Misa was tripped up by Cole Schwindt at 8:14 in the first period, making a nice falling pass and drawing a penalty. Quentin Musty had a great chance off a pass from Dickinson as the penalty expired, but was denied by the Golden Knights’ 22-year-old goalie, Carl Lindbom.

One play that stood out to me early was off of an offensive zone turnover by the Sharks. Vegas attempted to break out of their defensive zone, and Pavol Regenda pulled off a perfectly timed stick lift to dispossess the Golden Knights and regain the puck in a dangerous area.

Warsofsky specifically said he was interested in seeing what Anthony Vincent brought to the table after the non-game group’s morning skate, and it was clear why. He was making smart plays and creating some chances off the rush early on. With that being said, he did make a major error in the second period and was less noticeable as the game went on.

After the first period, it was still a 0-0 deadlock, but the Golden Knights led 9-4 in shots.

Early in the second period, there were a couple of defensive plays that certainly stood out. Nick Leddy’s speed is still dangerous, as he rushed back and closed out a Golden Knights zone entry attempt, allowing the Sharks to regain possession. Dickinson also had a great poke-check denying a rush attempt by Vegas forward Brett Howden.

Afanasyev drew a penalty just over seven minutes into the second period, and it didn’t take long for the Sharks power play to take advantage. Michael Misa won the faceoff to Tyler Toffoli, who found John Klingberg on the point. Klingberg fired it and found the back of the net through a screen, breaking the deadlock and giving the Sharks a 1-0 lead.

Vegas made a goaltending change shortly after the first goal in an attempt to split time between Lindbom and Jesper Vikman. Lindbom played a total of 31:29 before Vikman took over in the crease.

Jeff Skinner was a major standout in the second period. He created space for himself early in the period and was denied on a rush opportunity. He then scored right before the end of the period, when Will Smith made a great backhand pass to the slot. It landed on Dickinson’s stick, who found Skinner in front of the net, making it 2-0 for the Sharks. It’s important to note that right before getting the secondary assist, Smith was hauled down in the defensive zone and drew a penalty.

Misa took a tripping penalty 11:52 into the second period. Near the end of the penalty, the Sharks were called for too many men, giving the Golden Knights a short 5-on-3 opportunity. The San Jose penalty kill would prevail, and Vegas remained without a goal through two periods.

Toffoli toe-dragged around the Vegas defense early in the third, but after walking in, he was denied by Vikman on the backhand attempt.

Zack Ostapchuk was called for interference with 7:31 remaining in regulation, giving Vegas a golden opportunity to get back in the game. That opportunity would be wasted though, as the Sharks' penalty kill improved to 4-for-4 on the night. 

Despite a late push by the Golden Knights, the Sharks were able to maintain the shutout and, after an empty net goal by Toffoli, they walked away with a 3-0 victory to kick off the preseason. 

Nedeljkovic was tested quite a bit early on, but that faded away in the latter half of the game. He made quite a few key saves including a late-game breakaway by Alexander Holtz. So far, he has looked like a solid addition for the Sharks. Considering there’s still uncertainty about how well Yaroslav Askarov will play this season, Nedeljkovic seems like he’ll certainly add some stability in the crease.

Philipp Kurashev also looked very solid, making smart plays throughout the night, and overall being in the right spot at the right time. 

Quentin Musty was noticeably faster, and his offseason work was paying dividends. Misa was another prospect who definitely didn't look out of place, he's adapting to the professional game very quickly and seems primed to have a strong rookie season if what we've seen so far continues into the regular season. Dickinson is in a similar situation, as he looked very good as well. 

The Sharks will have their second preseason game of the season on Friday, as they once again face the Golden Knights. 

Macklin Celebrini and Cam Lund Return to Training CampAhead of tonight’s preseason matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights, Macklin Celebrini and Cam Lund both returned to the ice this morning at Sharks Ice. The Hockey News Sunday Recap: San Jose Sharks` - Sunday Sept. 21stHappy Sunday, San Jose Sharks fans. Sharks Announce Broadcast Schedule for 2025-26 SeasonOn Saturday morning the San Jose Sharks announced their broadcast schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

May 17, 2021; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) is congratulated by center Matt Duchene (95) and defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) after his second period goal against the Carolina Hurricanes in game one of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena. James Guillory-Imagn Images

After three days of training camp and several scrimmages, the Nashville Predators finally got to play a game against an opponent other than themselves, with a split-squad doubleheader against the Florida Panthers Sunday at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville took the first game 5-0, then hung on for a 5-3 victory in the second game.

While Florida went almost exclusively with AHL and ECHL players in both games, the Predators had a nice mix of veterans and prospects.

Still, the two wins give the Preds some much-needed momentum as they prepare for the regular season. For veterans whose spots on the roster are locked up, Sunday was a chance to get the rust off and get in game shape. For others, the games offered an opportunity to give head coach Andrew Brunette and general manager Barry Trotz something to think about when finalizing those roster spots.

Here are seven players who stood out in the doubleheader.

Erik Haula Is Back For An Encore

It’s been a while since Erik Haula has scored a goal in a Nashville Predators uniform: May 17, 2021, to be exact.

That day, Haula tallied a goal in Game 1 of the Preds’ playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Haula doubled that output on Sunday, scoring two goals in the Predators’ 5-0 Game 1 victory.

At the 3:41 mark of the middle frame, Haula tipped in a shot from the slot off a pass from Jonathan Marchessault on a power-play goal that gave Nashville a 2-0 lead. Marchessault and Brady Skjei each picked up assists.

Then in the third period, Haula took a rebound off the boards, went behind the net and put in a wraparound for his second of the game and a 4-0 Preds lead.

The native of Pori, Finland was traded to the Predators from the New Jersey Devils in the off-season, and already looks glad to be back in Smashville.

The Birthday Boy Gets A Goal

Reid Schaefer had two reasons to smile on Sunday: he scored a goal, and it was his 22nd birthday.

The Edmonton, Alta. native took a redirect in front of the net at the 12:19 mark of the second period to increase the Preds’ lead to 3-0 in Game 1. Adam Wilsby was awarded a helper.

Schaefer, whose action was limited much of last season with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, said before the doubleheader he’s hoping to make an impact. Trotz mentioned Schaefer during the off-season when discussing the Preds’ roster for 2025-26.

Sunday’s performance didn’t hurt those chances.

Rolston Gets His First

Last season, Ryder Rolston was picked up by the Admirals, and he posted 13 goals and 31 points over 57 games.

Rolston had never played in an NHL game until Sunday, and notched his first goal in Game 1. It turned out to be the Preds’ first goal of the pre-season.

At the 5:24 mark of the opening frame, Rolston came down the right side, fired a shot, got his own rebound and tickled the twine to put the Predators ahead 1-0.

A fifth-round pick (139th overall) by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2020 NHL Draft, Rolston was traded to Chicago in 2021 before the Blackhawks dealt him to Nashville in 2024. It’s a long shot for the 23-year-old forward to crack the NHL roster this season, but he showed promise in his first pre-season action.

Stamkos Strikes

Perhaps no player is hoping for a bounce-back season more than Steven Stamkos.

The 35-year-old forward saw his goal-scoring dip from 40 in 2023-24 with Tampa Bay to 27 in2024-25 after signing a four-year, $32 million contract with the Predators.

Stamkos tallied his first goal of this pre-season in Game 2. With just over a minute left in the opening period, he rifled in a shot from the right side. Matthew Wood deserves kudos after setting Stamkos up with a beautiful dangles pass in front, putting the Preds in front 2-1.

Wood’s Eventful First Goal

Wood followed up his nice feed to Stamkos with his first NHL goal, although the official scoring went back and forth as to whether he actually got credit for it.

At the 13-24 mark of the middle frame, Wood fired a shot from the top of the left circle and found the back of the net.

At first, the official scorer ruled the puck deflected off Filip Forsberg, who was credited with his second tally of the night. Later, the score sheet was changed once again to credit Wood with his first goal.

Either way, the tally put Nashville up 4-1.

Wood also picked up a secondary assist on Forsberg’s previous goal, feeding O’Reilly below the goal line to give him three points on the night.

Wood, who joined the Predators for six games late last season, scored a couple of goals in a team scrimmage on Friday. His pre-season is off to a rousing start.

The Juices Are Flowing

Juuse Saros and Justus Annunen looked solid in their first taste of pre-season action.

Annunen combined with Matt Murray to stop all 19 Florida shots in Game 1. Before giving way to Magnus Chrona midway through the middle frame of Game 2, Saros stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced, including several key saves following the Panthers’ goal to open the scoring.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced their roster for their first preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. 

The Penguins will have a morning skate at 11:30 a.m. ET before flying to Montreal to take on the Habs at 7 p.m. ET. Anthony Mantha, Tommy Novak, Tristan Broz, Robby Fabbri, and Ben Kindel headline the team at forward, while Harrison Brunicke, Owen Pickering, Connor Clifton, and Matt Dumba headline the defensive group.

Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist are the two goaltenders on this roster, and a starter will likely be named after Monday's morning skate. 

Fans will get to see a lot of the Penguins' top prospects in this game and see how close some of them are to the NHL, including Kindel, Broz, Brunicke, Pickering, and Murashov. Forward Avery Hayes is also on this roster after dominating the Prospects Challenge earlier this month.

You can view the full roster here

. 

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Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki took his game to a brand new level this past season. In 82 games during the 2024-25 season, the star center scored 30 goals and set new career highs with 59 assists and 89 points. 

Now, due to his excellent 2024-25 campaign, Suzuki has landed some big-time praise.

The NHL Network has been in the process of revealing its latest Top 50 Players Right Now list, and Suzuki has officially made the cut for the first time in his career. The NHL Network has given Suzuki the No. 28 spot this year. 

Nick Suzuki makes his Top 50 Players Right Now debut! @CanadiensMTL | #NHLTopPlayerspic.twitter.com/HVyTPY9rkj

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) September 22, 2025

With this, Suzuki was given a better ranking than other NHL stars like Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and Buffalo Sabres blueliner Rasmus Dahlin. 

When looking at the season Suzuki just had, it is entirely understandable that he has made the NHL Network's top players list this year. The 26-year-old has emerged as a legitimate star in this league, and it is going to be very fascinating to see what kind of year he can put together in 2025-26 with the Canadiens. 

In 455 games over six seasons with the Canadiens so far, Suzuki has recorded 138 goals, 237 assists, and 375 points. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that Lane Pederson will be out for the remainder of the club's preseason matchup against the New York Islanders after suffering an upper-body injury.

Pederson did not join the Flyers' bench at the start of the second period after taking a hit in the first period. Now, the Flyers have confirmed that the 28-year-old will not be back for the remainder of the contest. 

Injury update: Forward Lane Pederson has an upper-body injury and will not return to tonight's game. #PHIvsNYI

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 22, 2025

Pederson is a newcomer for the Flyers, as the Metropolitan Division club signed him to a one-year, two-way contract back in July. 

Pederson spent this past season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bakersfield Condors, where he posted five goals and 12 points in 18 games. This was after the 6-foot forward recorded 20 goals and 52 points in 66 games with the Condors during the 2023-24 season. 

In 71 career NHL games split between the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets, Pederson has recorded four goals, seven assists, and 161 hits. 

The St. Louis Blues dropped their second preseason game in as many days to open the 2025-26 season with a 4-1 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Sunday.

Nikita Alexandrov scored the lone Blues goal, assisted by Justin Carbonneau, the 2025 first-round pick’s second point in as many days; he scored the lone goal in a 2-1 shootout loss against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Joel Hofer played the first two periods and stopped 13 of 15 shots, and Vadim Zherenko stopped five of six shots in the third period.

Blues coach Jim Montgomery had this to say on Sunday morning about the lineup prior to departing for Columbus:

“See who’s going to start asserting themselves to wanting to make the Blues team,” Montgomery said. “It’s really that basic, who can show us the habits and details of [Nathan] Walker and [Alexey] Toropchenko, who has that dogged determination that Holloway plays with, who is the defenseman that is going to break up plays and look to jump and go like [Colton] Parayko and [Cam] Fowler and [Justin] Faulk do.”

There were some decent performances on Sunday but nothing that would make the coach say, ‘That guy is ready to make the Blues team.’

Here are some observations from the game:

* Otto Stenberg – The 2023 first-round pick had himself a decent game, logging 16:05 of ice time and really asserting himself with some nice shifts, particularly in the first period when he set up two strong scoring chances, went right to the net in his first shift, which is where he will make his living and then making a crucial shot block that obviously stung to thwart a solid scoring chance against.

Stenberg started the game with Alexandrov and Mathieu Joseph and finished with Carbonneau and Alexandrov, a sign that Montgomery was liking some of the things he was seeing from the 20-year-old.

He finished with two shots on five attempts, one hit and two blocked shots, a game that can certainly be built on.

* Justin Carbonneau – The well has been a bit dry for the Blues offense, but Carbonneau has been part of each one thus far.

The Blues were down 2-0 when he took a pass from Lucic after an initial puck was rimmed around, spun at the top of the left circle and whipped a shot to the net that Alexandrov tipped at 16:58 of the second period to cut the Blues’ deficit to 2-1.

Nikita Alexandrov deflects this shot from Justin Carbonneau to cut the Blue Jackets' lead. Milan Lucic also picks up an assist. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/bIxcjuyOsw

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 21, 2025

Carbonneau played 17:33 and again displayed a penchant to shoot the puck, and the more reps he gets, the better his career will begin in St. Louis. He’s definitely showing signs that it won’t be terribly long before No. 68 will be playing here regularly. Another game in which he didn’t look out of place.

* Adam Jiricek – What I like about the 2024 first-round pick, just like Logan Mailloux on Saturday, is his shot-first mindset when the puck is on his stick at the point.

Yes, he was on the ice for the first two goals against, and one can make the argument that when he pinched on the first goal by Brendan Gaunce and missed, it created a 2-on-0, but there were other varying differences that led to the sequence.

Jiricek logged a team high 23:04 and had six shot attempts (two on goal) and was also involved in a number of plays that were killed with his stick.

Columbus had multiple 2-on-1s and Jiricek was part of breaking up at least two that I can remember. I thought he had himself a good game.

* Joel Hofer/goaltending – Hofer and Zherenko picked up where Jordan Binnington and Colten Ellis left off Saturday. Maybe not quite on par since that duo stopped 33 of 34 in Dallas, but they made the saves necessary to give their team a chance on Sunday and that’s all that can be asked.

* Milan Lucic – The 37-year-old veteran on a PTO had an assist, had a scoring chance moments later and he did use his body to his advantage in 15:26 of ice time.

He’s the type of guy you want to see in front of the net when Jiricek or whoever is bringing pucks from the point, and there were moments but not there could have been more. Seemed to get better as the game progressed.

* Nick Bjugstad – It wasn’t a performance like Lucic that screamed, ‘Wow,’ but what will be important is that stat line of 10 face-off wins on 15 opportunities in 16:14 of ice time. Sixty-seven percent will do. That will go a long way this season late in games, protecting a one- or two-goal lead late, or trying to kill a 6-on-5.

* Puck play, particularly in the offensive zone was sloppy – The Blues didn’t generate quite enough O-zone possession because they just didn’t make enough smart puck plays.

The one instance that stood out was a sequence with roughly eight minutes left in the second period when Columbus starting goalie Ivan Fedotov made two terrific saves on Mathieu Joseph, followed by a shot block of a Hunter Skinner shot, and then another save on Alexandre Texier.

Those moments were far and few between. Too many one-and-dones. Puck placement wasn’t all that great.

And speaking of Skinner, part of the trade that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, he played 16:43 and was assertive in this game, with six shot attempts, three hits and one blocked shot. Really used his body well. Someone to keep an eye on as camp rolls around.

-- The Blues are off Monday, resume practice Tuesday and play their next preseason game Saturday at home against the Chicago Blackhawks.

One of the prevailing themes of the Steve Staios era in Ottawa is that the general manager and his staff have done an excellent job of targeting and acquiring players who represented good fits.

With the exception of last summer's Linus Ullmark trade, this front office has historically avoided making splashy moves of the previous regime by avoiding players who carry a lot of name value but fail to move the needle because they are a poor fit.

Working the margins and making incremental gains to support the organization's young core has been the principal focus for the hockey operations department. Adding players like Nick Jensen, Jordan Spence, and Adam Gaudette will never generate big headlines, but they all were or continue to be better fits than the players they replaced.

In the case of Gaudette, last year's free agent signing was coming off a strong 44-goal season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds. Thanks to his familiarity playing for head coach Travis Green during their time together in Vancouver, Gaudette turned a productive preseason (four goals, one assist in five games) into an extended audition with the club that culminated in his best season as a pro. The 28-year-old recorded 19 goals and 26 points for the Senators while predominantly playing on the fourth line and second power play unit.

He parlayed those efforts into a two-year, $4.0 million contract ($2.0 million AAV) with San Jose.

Steve Warne did an excellent job drawing parallels between the Gaudette and Kaliyev situations earlier this offseason, so I will not discuss in detail here, but Gaudette's absence created an opportunity. With it, the Senators targeted another player the hockey ops department is familiar with - signing unrestricted free agent winger, Arthur Kaliyev, to a one-year, two-way deal.

Could Arthur Kaliyev Be The Senators' Next Adam Gaudette Story?One of the feel-good stories of training camp last season was Ottawa Senators centre Adam Gaudette. Gaudette came to Ottawa last summer on a one-year, two-way contract, to battle for one of the final forward positions on the NHL roster. No one ruled him out, but he certainly wasn't a shoo-in either.

The winger spent three years playing for Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios' OHL Hamilton Bulldogs and won an OHL championship in 2018. Although Kaliyev was just a developing teenage prospect at the time, these years will inevitably provide familiarity and intimate knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses.

Kaliyev has been linked to the Senators since his 2019 draft year when the organization selected Shane Pinto with the 32nd overall selection. Several prognosticators believed it was a missed opportunity to draft Kaliyev, who was taken just one pick later by the Los Angeles Kings. In the Central Scouting Bureau's final rankings, Pinto was the 28th-ranked North American skater, while Kaliyev ranked seventh.

Kaliyev's offensive production in Hamilton drove his draft value. Widely praised and renowned for his NHL-ready shot, he tallied 51 goals and 102 points in 67 games during his draft-eligible 2018-19 season.

In the years that followed, Kaliyev's stock has dropped, but I spoke with the winger Thursday morning about his opportunity in Ottawa.

"It was really good," the Uzbekistani winger said with a smile as he described his summer. "I trained hard. I had two tough injuries last year, and it was the hardest-working summer that I've had in a while. I'm trying to get back to the top of my game."

Kaliyev sustained a fractured clavicle while battling with defenceman Kyle Burroughs on the second day of training camp last season. When he was cleared to return for play with the Kings in early January, the organization put him on waivers, where the New York Rangers claimed him.

The winger would play 14 games with the Rangers (three goals, one assist) before breaking his surgically-repaired clavicle again, ending his season.

The experience of a lost season ate at Kaliyev.

"Yeah, it was really, really frustrating," he admitted. "I felt I was just starting to get better (in New York). I had a couple of good moments, and then I got hurt again.

"It was really, really sad at first when that happened. So, (when I recovered) I went back to work as soon as I could."

That his career was reaching a pivotal moment was not lost on Kaliyev. The Rangers ultimately decided it was not worth tendering him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Once Kaliyev recovered, he began his offseason workouts at the end of May, acknowledging that he had taken his training to a higher level.

"Everything needed to be at a top level with a lot of extra work, after missing so much time last year with injuries and recovering and not playing," Kaliyev described. "I took it up a notch in the summer to get on top of my game and get my weight and body right."

His NHL career began modestly enough. In his first full season as a 20-year-old in 2021-22, he tallied 14 goals and 27 points in 80 games. He followed that up by recording 13 goals and 28 points 56 games, improving his five-on-five points rate while leading the team in his individual expected goals rate (1.07 ixG/60) per NaturalStatTrick.

It is these levels that Kaliyev wants to get back to and surpass.

"In my second year, I was close to breaking out," he confidently stated. "Then injuries started piling on for three years in a row. (My frustrations and struggles) don't mean I can quit now.

"I'm trying to get back (to those levels), but I can't (dwell on) the past. I want to try to get back to my top level and be even better than I was. I just have to keep working hard. Don't quit on ice mentally and keep going every day. Keep working on being better in practices and games every day."

Lip service and optimism are never in short supply during training camps around the NHL, but during my conversation with Kaliyev, it is evident that he understands how important this season will be for his career.

Given those stakes, it made sense for him to sign with the Senators where there is some familiarity.

"(Management) knows me well, and I don't know how other teams would think of me after coming back from two surgeries," said Kaliyev. "I'm not sure if I would get as good of a chance (to play and develop) if I went to another team.

"Ottawa knows me the best as a player and as a person. It will help me the most to become a top player again."

The opportunity to reunite with Staios was a drawing factor.

"He knows how I can play," Kaliyev stated. "He knows I try to play and work hard in every single game. (Staios) is going to help me to get back to the top of my game.

"I know they have a great staff here, too. I think they are one of the best, so they know what they are doing. To come here, this was my best option."

Kaliyev was not discouraged by the fact that the Senators have quality depth at the wing position.

"I definitely compete in everything and will do everything I can (to win a roster spot)," he stated. "This is part of the business, and I'll do my best to compete with anyone."

Given his age, his underlying metrics and the organization's familiarity with the player, it is easy to understand why the Senators would afford Kaliyev a chance to see if he can recapture some of the lustre.

As one of the lowest-scoring five-on-five teams in the league last season, the coaching staff will be looking for improvements. If Kaliyev can stay healthy and if his usage mirrors how the organization handled Gaudette, he could be an inexpensive secondary scorer for the club.

He represents a low-risk move with upside, but some of that enthusiasm dampened earlier this week after his ex-girlfriend made allegations on TikTok about verbal abuse and financial manipulation.

Steve Staios touched upon those allegations during his availability on the first day of training camp.

"We're aware of (the allegations)," the general manager acknowledged. "It's being monitored, but there's nothing to it, is what we've been told. I don't really have more to say on it."

When I addressed the allegations with Kaliyev, I did not invite the player to comment on their specifics. I simply asked whether they were a distraction or had negatively impacted him as he began training camp with a new organization.

Kaliyev refused to comment. 

By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Less than a week ago, Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams spoke with the media at the opening of training camp at LECOM Harborcenter with news about the injury status of goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen that was so uncertain that the club opted to sign veteran goalie Alexandar Georgiev  as an insurance policy, but following the Sabres intersquad scrimmage, head coach Lindy Ruff had encouraging news regarding his starting goalie.  

"(Luukkonen) is really feeling pretty good,” Ruff said.  Whether he's ready to participate (in practice) on Monday or not, we'll see, but (there have been) a couple of really good reports on how he's progressing."

Adams indicated last week that the 26-year-old goalie had a lower-body injury that he was having issues with. While the Sabres GM did not want to sound alarm bells, he determined that it was out of an abundance of caution to sign Georgiev, who started for Colorado and San Jose last season to a one-year, $825,000 one-way contract.  

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The news was also positive on winger Alex Tuch, who missed the start of training camp with a minor lower-body injury. The 29-year-old tied a career-high with 36 goals last season and will be depended on to be a primary offensive contributor with the departure of second-leading scorer JJ Peterka calling into question whether the Sabres can generate enough goals to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference playoff race this season. 

"We'll get him to skate in on Monday and in all likelihood, if (he) doesn't come into the lineup Monday or Tuesday, it's only because he missed this amount of time,” Ruff said. “We'd like him to skate a little bit more. He would have loved to play in the scrimmage, but I thought he skated great this morning.”

The Sabres open their exhibition schedule in Columbus on Monday, and will face the Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night. 

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The annual Detroit Red Wings Red & White game, which is typically played at Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Mich., was moved to Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. for the first time since 2011.

The event, comprised of Red Wings players split into two groups, was announced as a full sellout at the venue that serves as the home of the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.

Team White pulled out a 3-2 victory thanks to a pair of goals from Elmer Söderblom as well as another goal from Alex DeBrincat; Jonatan Berggren and Emmitt Finnie scored for Team Red. 

Big Elm getting on the board. 💪 pic.twitter.com/7wDnrEPTHR

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 21, 2025

Right from the get-go, the fans were energized, engaged, and loud. 

Afterward, Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin had nothing but great things to say about the fans who packed the building to cheer them on in their final tune-up before the pre-season begins on Tuesday. 

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"Unbelievable atmosphere," Larkin said. "I'm not surprised, knowing the hockey fans here in Grand Rapids. I'm sure there are people who drove from all over the west side of the state to come and watch and cheer us on, and show us some support today. That was really special, and it's something I'll always remember." 

Like the rest of his teammates, Larkin is chomping at the bit to get into the pre-season against non-Detroit opponents. 

"It was a productive game and was good to get back on an NHL ice surface and something we're more familiar with," he said. "I thought it was productive and I think we're tired of playing against each other. We're ready to get into the pre-season games here."

The Red Wings have eight pre-season games scheduled in the next few weeks, beginning with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday evening at Little Caesars Arena. 

As they did in the Red & White game, young Red Wings prospects like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård will be getting plenty of playing time.

"A lot of them looked really good," Larkin said of Detroit's young prospects. "You see speed, you see skill. I think they all have very good attributes, whether it's a shot or skating or a brain. But they all seem eager to want to learn and they've really been impressive with their work ethic on and off the ice." 

Tuesday's game at Little Caesars Arena, which will be the first unofficial game of former Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill behind the bench of the Blackhawks in the same role, is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

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Michkov does his thing, young goalies solid in Flyers' preseason shootout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers won their preseason opener Sunday night with a 3-2 shootout decision over the Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York.

Matvei Michkov, Noah Cates, Rodrigo Abols and Emil Andrae all scored for the Flyers in the skills competition. Andrae’s tally was the winner in the 11th round.

Michkov and Abols provided the Flyers’ goals in regulation. Michkov’s marker came with 1:18 minutes left as the Flyers emptied their net and forced overtime.

The Flyers didn’t play five of their top six scorers from last season. They also sat three of their top defensemen in Travis Sanheim, Cam York and Nick Seeler, as well as their goaltending tandem of Samuel Ersson and Dan Vladar.

It was the first of seven exhibition games for Rick Tocchet and his new coaching staff.

“These are teachable moments and it’s good to have my staff on the bench, how we work, that’s an important thing, too,” Tocchet said Sunday morning. “We haven’t been together ourselves.”

• So much has been made of young roster hopefuls like Alex Bump, Nikita Grebenkin and Jett Luchanko.

But there hasn’t been much noise about Abols, a big 29-year-old forward who played 22 games for the Flyers last season.

Abols has a legit chance to crack the club’s season-opening lineup in the bottom six. He can play center or winger and does a lot of the little things. He also moves well for his size.

The 6-foot-4 Latvian scored on a nice shot only 2:42 minutes into the action off a pass from 2025 first-rounder Jack Nesbitt.

• Aleksei Kolosov was pretty solid in net through two periods. The 23-year-old stopped 15 of 17 shots.

The Islanders tied the game at 1-1 in the second period when Kyle Palmieri flushed a big rebound after Kolosov converted a save on 2025 first overall pick Matthew Schaefer.

But later in the period, Kolosov made a pair of athletic saves. The second came with New York on a 2-on-1 rush at shorthanded.

Kolosov then faced another 2-on-1 rush in the middle stanza but couldn’t deny this one as Marshall Warren put the Islanders ahead.

The 20-year-old Carson Bjarnason took over at the start of the third period and turned away all 17 shots that he faced.

• Trevor Zegras centered a line with Michkov and Grebenkin. The trio did some good things offensively.

Grebenkin, who came to the Flyers in the Scott Laughton trade, looks rather fearless.

“He plays with a ton of bite,” AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley head coach John Snowden said last weekend. “He’s a highly skilled player, but he is not easy to play against at all. He’s going to whack you when you come off the bench, he’s going to crosscheck you, he’s going to stick his nose in there.”

The 22-year-old winger had a goal and two assists over the pair of rookie games. He also set up a goal in the 3-on-3 portion of Saturday’s scrimmage.

Nikita Grebenkin shows some of his skill in 3-on-3, Jack Nesbitt finishes with the goal. pic.twitter.com/N6DhOfIphd

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) September 20, 2025

• Lane Pederson suffered an upper-body injury toward the end of the first period and did not return to the game.

The 28-year-old center signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flyers on July 1 and is projected to open the season with the Phantoms.

• The Flyers are off Monday before resuming training camp and game action Tuesday. After taking the ice in the morning, the club will head to Montreal for an exhibition matchup against the Canadiens (7 p.m. ET).

With the NHL pre-season having kicked off, there are already a number of big-name young players stuck in limbo. The New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes, Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish and Nashville Predators’ Luke Evangelista are the three notable restricted free agents left without an NHL deal as training camp is well underway, with former first rounders Alexander Holtz and Rasmus Kupari being the other two.

Many fans and pundits have questioned the cost-benefit analysis of teams dragging out negotiations past training camp, as it feels as though a trend has formed over the past number of years where players would miss camp and even at times part of the season due to negotiations, only to underperform that season after they’ve signed.

Before the 2004-05 lockout and subsequently the sweeping changes to the NHL’s handling of player salaries and rights, unrestricted free agency wasn’t really a thing for most players, as they were mostly bound to their teams. As such, many players had longstanding holdouts. Furthermore, teams were seemingly much more willing to play ‘hard-ball’ when facing tough negotiations.

Chris Kontos

Chris Kontos wasn’t a star, per se, but it wasn’t because he lacked the skill. Once taken 15th overall in the 1982 draft by the New York Rangers, Kontos would bounce around, playing here, there and just about everywhere.

“I'd get called up, do my best, if the numbers or the politics weren't right, I'd get sent down,” he said in an article for The Score in 2018. “If the contract wasn't right, I'd go to Europe and play, and then come back because somebody else was giving me a shot. 

After stints in Finland, Switzerland, Italy and even with the Canadian national team, he would eventually sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 1992-93. Finally given a legitimate opportunity, he would thrive, scoring a career high 27 goals and 51 points for third on the team. However, it was hardly a perfect season as an MCL injury cut his campaign short to just 66 games. Between the injury and his contract situation, negotiations were dire, especially with Kontos’ eyes still set on being an Olympian. He would make Team Canada’s 1994 Olympic team and end up helping them win silver, but ultimately would never ice in an NHL game again.

Alexei Yashin

Ottawa Senators’ then captain Alexei Yashin missed a full season thanks to a contract dispute after what would be a career-high 94-point campaign in 1998-99. He would hardly miss a step, scoring 40 goals once again and notching 88 points in 2000-01, however, the damage was done, and the team ended up flipping him to the New York Islanders for the second-overall pick, which would become Jason Spezza, Zdeno Chara and NHL depth player Bill Muckalt.

Yashin remained a prolific producer, but struggled to maintain the production he had in Ottawa with the Islanders. However, Yashin’s case study serves as a deafening reminder that even when things eventually pan out between team and player, these hold-outs burn bridges that continue to burn well after the ink dries on the dotted line.

Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Khabibulin’s tale was even messier on the team's side. ‘The Bulin wall’ dominated in 1998-99, posting a .923 save percentage through 63 games with the then Phoenix Coyotes before the dispute. He then proceeded to miss nearly two full seasons due to a rift between himself and the Coyotes. In 1999-00, Khabibulin was able to sign in the IHL, a minor league at the time, where he won goaltender of the year, but he ended up sitting out the 2000-01 season until his rights were dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ahead of the dispute, Khabibulin was coming off a breakthrough season, fully legitimizing himself as an elite goalie talent, and after that, the results speak for themselves. He added two All-Star game appearances, won best goaltender at the 2002 Olympics, and in 2004, he backstopped the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship.

Michael Peca

Michael Peca’s restricted free agency story is yet another that ends with an eventual trade after missing a full season, however there remain a few notable details. The Sabres’ captain was fresh off finishing fifth in votes for the Frank J. Selke trophy at the time, with a 41-point season for the fourth highest on the team. The tensions would eventually hit a breaking point with Peca lobbing accusations at the NHL and the Buffalo Sabres of collusion to make an example out of him to other star players looking to get paid – accusations that both the team and league denied.

After plenty of posturing from the Sabres, they’d eventually trade him to the New York Islanders, who would win big as Peca would hit an all-time high in points with the team, with 60 in his return to the ice in 2001-02, winning his second Selke and even finishing tenth in Hart voting. He marks one of the few cases of players having a better season after missing plenty of time due to holdouts.

---

Apart from Kontos, all of these players would get a full training camp to get back into shape for the next season. While missing a full season of hockey would be a tough hurdle to overcome for anyone, these players had the runway to get themselves acclimated to the league again.

Compared to players now, who tend to only hold out until mid-season, thanks to the Dec. 1 deadline, they aren’t afforded that luxury. In the next piece of this two-part series, we’ll take a look at more contemporary examples and whether they were able to thrive after missing the start of their seasons.

The Ottawa Senators began their 2025 NHL preseason schedule on Sunday afternoon the same way they ended last season: falling behind 3-0, then losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto scored three goals in the first period, then held on for a 4-3 victory at Canadian Tire Centre.  

The biggest storyline emerging from this one might end up being the health of Tyler Kleven. In the third period, he went into the end boards awkwardly, skates first, and eventually made his way down the tunnel and called it a night. It looked initially like it might be a knee or ankle injury, but the TV cameras caught him on the bench, looking uncomfortable and favouring his right shoulder.

The Sens said after the game there was no update yet on his condition.

The results of the NHL preseason schedule mean nothing, but if there’s one exhibition game this year the Senators would prefer to win most, it was this one. 

For starters, this game was the only one scheduled for the Canadian Tire Centre, so the organization wanted to put on a good show for their fans. The Sens also dressed the bulk of their top players, while Toronto went with a far less experienced crew that should have been overmatched. And of course, the opponent on Sunday was the Leafs, the Sens' biggest rival, who ended their season with a six-game triumph back in April.

Ridly Greig, Arthur Kaliyev, and Olle Lycksell scored for the Senators. Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk each had two assists. Calle Jarnkrok, Nicholas Robertson, William Villeneuve, and Matthew Barbolini scored for Toronto.

Linus Ullmark allowed three goals on eight shots in the first period before Mads Sogaard took over, making 11 saves on 12 shots. Ullmark says he was always scheduled to play just the first 20 minutes.

Head coach Travis Green took some positives from the game.

"We did a lot of good things," Green said. "I thought the first period our execution with the puck wasn't quite where we wanted it to be. I like that we stayed with the game, even though we're down 3-0. And we had a lot of chances to score a lot more goals than we did. It was a pretty good game."

These same two teams will meet again on Tuesday, this time in Toronto.

More Sens Headlines From The Hockey News Ottawa:
Senators Winger Fabian Zetterlund Ready To Prove Himself This Season
Senators Announce Full Roster for Main Training Camp
Ranking the Senators' 10 Best Prospects
Senators GM Steve Staios On Why He Brought Back The Same Group
Can The Senators Still Avoid Losing Their 2026 First Round Pick?
Sens Radio Play-By-Play Team Won't Travel To Road Games This Season